We made it to Guyra mid afternoon for two nights and set up camp in the Summit Caravan Park. It is claimed to be the highest caravan park in Australia, just out of town on the south side. Guyra is the highest town in the New England region at 1,330 metres.

The town is historically known for sheep grazing and potato growing, having an annual Lamb and Potato Festival to celebrate this heritage.

The Summit is not the finest park we have been in, seems to focus on permanents and seasonal worker accomodation.

We were on a big open grassy area which was ok, park and some of the amenities could do with improvement projects.

After settling in we went into town to walk the short main street and top up the pantry. There are a number of quirky nick nack places full of ‘antique’ gems. Couldn’t resist a box of four cheese plates, bargain.

Eyed off the Blind Chef for a lunchtime snack.

Guyra’s main environmental attraction is the Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve. This is a rare high altitude wet land seasonally populated by migratory birds from various parts of the world. Parts of the Reserve appeared to have dried up. However, there was a network of channels running through the area that would probably overflow into the dry areas after heavy rainfall. Only a few ducks in the water today and a flock of swamphens running around on the grass.

Early in the evening we returned for dinner at the Royal Hotel, ‘most’ towns in Australia we have found have a Royal Hotel.

This one is unusual though in that it has been moved from another location and was repositioned with its former long front to back side remodelled and now facing the street.

Back to the van park after dinner, quite a chilly night. We gave the diesel heater a work out! More of Guyra in the morning.