It was a “crisp” morning but no rain and the promise of a nice day, so we were up and on the road early – for us anyway.
The further we move north the better the weather seems to be getting, which is a huge relief. We seem to be in cattle country now and there are plenty of cattle grids across the highway. Between grids there is often no roadside fencing so you need to watch out for livestock – cattle, sheep and goats – on the side of the road.
We made our way to the Kidman Way and drove about 100 kms to the Curraweena Rest Area (N921) where we stopped to stretch our legs and have a coffee. On a dry day there is plenty of potential for free camping, but there is way too much water around at the moment to consider that.
Plenty of Cattle Grids to Cross
Curraweena Rest Area for Coffee
We’d Love to Free Camp here in dry weather
From the rest area it was a further 60 kms to Bourke and a further 8 kms to Kidman’s Camp – our destination – so today was a short and comfortable drive. We stayed at Kidman’s Camp a couple of years ago, although everything was a bit wetter then. It seems to us to be a better option than staying at the caravan park actually in town.
Approaching Kidman’s Camp
Set-Up at Kidman’s Camp
After a full set-up with awning etc, we headed back into Bourke for lunch. We ended up at the Morralls Bakery Café which boasts award winning pies and in-house freshly roasted coffee. We can attest that both the pies and the coffee were very good!
From the Bakery we had a walk around town, starting at the Wharf. The wharf is on three levels and it’s amazing to think that it was once a busy wharf with boats coming and going. Now, all three levels are well above water level and there is a lot of debris in the river.
Old Wharf at Bourke
We also walked past an amazing colonial style building which currently houses a state government department. Quite a few other older buildings have also been restored and generally the town seems to be a lot cleaner and tidier than last time we were here.
Interesting Government Building in Bourke
Restored Building in Bourke
After doing a lap of the town centre precinct, we made the short journey back to Kidman’s Camp. This really is a tropical paradise in the wilderness. We did a lap of the camp and noticed some changes/improvements, and then settled down with a coffee in the sun under our awning. Our neighbours, also from Melbourne, joined us for a chat.
What a nice end to the day, to be followed by a glorious sunset.
Sunset from the Caravan at Kidman’s Camp, Bourke
Now we’re living the dream!
Shorty's RV Adventures 