From Echuca to the Gold Coast

Well time for another post.  This one is done on the 3G network now that we're on the Gold Coast.  After leaving Torrumbarry,  we called in a the Historic Port at Echuca.  Here is where they have several old paddle steamers still operating for tourists.  We didn't go near the boats,  but be did manage to find a purveyor of fortifies wines.  After some rigorous tasting and a detailed selection process,  we left with 5 litres of port and a carafe of liquer muscat, and 15% less brain cells.

Tim standing outside the port shop with the goods. Looks more like engine oil than port!!

From Echuca we hit the road and headed for Moree, through Deniliquin, Conargo, Jerilderie where we stayed at the motel/caravan park.

From Jerilderie we moved to through Narrandera, West Wyalong, Forbes and ended up in Parkes where we did the last blog.

On the way out of Parkes the next day,  we called in at the CSIRO Parked radio telescope which is famous for being the receiving station that received the images of the first moon landing.  Following are a couple of pics of the telescope which is still at the forefront of radio astronomy in the world.

From Parkes we travelled to Dubbo which we passed straight through.  The most noticeable thing about Dubbo was the colourful language heard on Ch 40 UHF Chook Band.  I trust that this was an aberration, not representative of the IQ of the normal Dubbo resident.  Tim was shocked at the use of expletives being sensitive like he is.

From Dubbo we took an off the highway track to Mendooran, then to Coonabaran.  The following pic of me and the Bus at Narrabri.

Not wanting to waste any further time, we went on to Moree and to the hot springs.  We arrived there about 5.30pm and were lucky to get into the caravan park with only two sites left when we arrived.  The pic below is of the sunset coming into Moree.

The attraction of the caravan park is several heated swimming pools that are filled with natural artesian water which comes out of the ground at about 39 degrees C.  Tim and I didn't do the hot pool thing that night,  we left it until the next morning.  We started in the pool below which is about 35 degrees, then moved into the 39 degree round pool.

Getting in was OK,  but it was bloody cold and there was some quite intense shrinkage going on after we got out.  The 39 degree pool was full of people over 70 and we both reckon that we could have fed most of Australian homeless by chucking in a couple of bags of spuds, carrots and onions and making a great big pot of Nana's Special Grey Nomad Soup.

From Moree we moved on through Warialda, Delungra, Inverell and then to Glenn Innes, where we had to choose to south east to Grafton, or to Tenterfield and come out further up the coast.  The decided on the latter and stayed at the showground at Tenterfield on a powered site for $16.00.  The showers were clean and the water was hot.

The next morning was spent shopping, sunglasses for me and a gas heater for when we camp out.  We left just before lunch and moved directly east through Casino and Lismore finally stopping at the Mullumbimby Leagues Club.  They rent out powered and unpowered sites around the ground.  The only problem was that the showers where communal. (Don't drop the soap!!)  We had a meal at the club for $12.00 each,  not too bad, and Tim told me to say that we had a few Froffies.

The pic below is of the bus at the Club ground and the surrounding hills.

From Mullumbimby which is not far from the coast, we moved on the next morning for Movie World.  Neither of us had any idea where we were going,  just followed the map and the GPS, which is a worry.

We stayed at a motel/caravan park about 1.4 kms from Movie world.  They know that it is close because it was $36.00 per night for a powered site with roaring traffic from the north and southbound lanes of the Gold Coast Highway thrown in for free.

Sunday morning, we walked over to Movie World.  This was a first for both of us, and although I wasn't keen,  it turned out to be be a good day out.  Some pics follow of the adventure.

This one is out the front, the place is pretty big which parking for lots of cars. Tim is full of anticipation...

This is the famous Wild West ride and is a roller coaster/boat that takes you around a wild west adventure then drops you 20 metres straight down into a lake of water.  Looks fun but cop the pics of Tim coming down the drop into the water and what he ended up like below.

Tim is in the blue tee shirt at the back.  Click on pic to enlarge.  He's hangin' on!!

The whole area of the park is made up to look like a wild west town.  Me in front of a mural.

Mmmm.  The pic above is Fatman, and one below, guess who??

The real Bat mobile.

This was our lunch, makes a double quarter pounder look like a mini cheeseburger.  How can he fit all that in???

 

This bloke is the Flash.  The muscles are real girls...

Well that's it for now.  Tomorrow we move on down the coast.  We came up the Pacific Highway and onto the Gold Coast Highway.  We haven't actually seen the ocean yet.  More posts to come.  Thanks for reading.