We are off to the Murrumbidgee River in southern NSW. The objective is to follow it from its source to its junction with the Murray River. The source of the river is in the Great Dividing Range to the north of Cooma and to the south of Canberra, also a bit to the west. More about this later in the journey, except to say that the river flows south of its source towards Cooma and then does a fish hook type turn and heads back towards Canberra. Near the nation’s capital it turns northwest towards Gundagai and then flows west past Wagga, Narrandera, Hay and Balranald before joining the Murray near a place called Boundary Bend.

We are now at Coonabarabran for the night, having made our way from Inglewood. These are our usual stopover points on the way south from Brisbane. It is generally a bit of a dash for us to get here and we don’t pay too much attention to the passing countryside. The Cunningham Highway, which leads out of Brisbane, meanders through the city’s hinterland before climbing the Range and passing through Cunningham’s Gap.

The road then rolls along to Goondiwindi crossing the Western Downs, a Queensland food bowl. The road follows the railway west past rural hamlets, many relics of Cobb & Co days.

Our stopover in the old tobacco town of Inglewood is a favourite spot for us beside MacIntyre Brook. Olives have replaced tobacco here and we find the Lion’s Park ablution block now has a mural since our last visit.

Local butterflies, symbolising serenity and calmness, together with wind turbines adorn the block for our enjoyment.

Tomorrow, we head for Forbes for another one night stand.