We've been too many places in the last 10 days to list them in the title hence the title above.

I left you at Wudinna and from there we headed on to Port August and camped at the Sports Club there.  We'd been following the weather very closely and when we saw one particular picture (see below) that made us decide against the Strzelecki and head through NSW to Broken Hill instead.

Next morning we were on our way and our next stop was at Yunta where we parked up across the road from the pub.  We had tea at the pub and met a couple of the locals before heading back to the van for a shower and an early night.

We crossed the border into NSW the next day - no border controls so that was easy and we parked up at the Round Hill Rest Area just out of Broken Hill.  Broken Hill looked to be an interesting town but we didn't sight see.  Right now our focus has been to head home without rushing and doing huge miles each day but we're avoiding towns as much as we can.  We are fairly prosaic about Covid and reckon its almost inevitable either or both us will get it but it would definitely be preferable to be in our own house with all its facilities rather than in our van - much though we love it - trying to organise water supply, emptying of toilet cassette and delivery of groceries all when one or both of us is unwell.  We'd an uneventful stop at Round Hill and next morning we drove through Wilcannia and on to MacCullochs Rest area.  This was a lovely free camp where we had some feral goats come and graze across the road.  This is the first we've seen of them - didn't see any in WA or SA but they're everywhere in Outback NSW.  Its interesting that you never see a goat carcase as road kill.  They're smart enough that when they hear a vehicle approaching they skedaddle quick smart.  We had an amazing sunset that night too.

On to Cobar the next day where we camped at the Cobar Old Reservoir.  Another great spot which is obviously the area where all the local people exercise their pig dogs.  There must have been at least 20 different utes or trucks pull up and take their dogs for a run.  There were a few other vans there but overall this route has been very quiet.

We had intended camping out 'back of Bourke' at a free camp at Mays Bend by the Darling River.  However once we left town and crossed the Darling River which was almost overflowing, it didn't seem a good idea to drive in 8km to that spot and find ourselves bogged, stranded or having to turn around and come back.  So we decided we'd push on and cross the border into Queensland.  

I found a nice sounding free camp by the side of the Warrego River so we drove in there and it was perfect.  We camped beside the Warrego River just over a causeway - no-one else there.  All we saw was a couple of local utes and three cattle trains loaded to the hilt with cattle - obviously going to a station further out.  According to Wiki Camps this is a great spot to see wildlife coming for a drink at the river, but I think there has been enough rain recently that they had no need to come there as we didn't see a single creature.

On through Queensland to Cunnamulla the next morning where we stopped for a coffee and some groceries and emptied the cassette and got water.  And of course saw the famous Cunnamulla Fella statue - immortalised by Slim Dusty although not written by him.  This brought back so many memories of earlier in our travels with Nudge and Carol of nights round the campfire singing along to this song.  Happy days!

We were booked into Charlotte Plains station not far from Cunnamulla for the next two nights.  Nudge and Carol had stayed here and told us what fun it was soaking the in the hot artesian baths there.  Its really their off season at the moment so it was all a bit neglected and there was only one other couple there in a camper trailer.  However we got ourselves a good spot right beside a couple of baths.  It was a very hot day 35 and the water is hot but the further away from the bore head you camp means by the time it gets there its a bit cooler and Robyn the station owner had said to put the stopper in quickly rather than let it run hot.  It was still warmish but so lovely to relax with a drink and look at the beautiful Australian bush.  We had a bit of fun trying to set the timer up on my phone to take a picture of us both in the baths.  I had a chair with a tub on top and a little stool on top of that then the phone propped up with a rock.  The timer only goes to 10 seconds and also the ground where the chair was placed to get us both in the pic was covered in prickles so I needed my thongs on. You'll see from the pics that I had several goes of pressing the button then going like a crazy woman to get in the bath within the 10 seconds.  Hilarious! 

Next morning we woke up to rain - not terribly heavy but good soaking rain.  We decided to take a little drive to see where the track out was (not the same way as we had come in).  The track had turned to mud which was like driving on an ice rink.  We had no reception but the rain looked like it might be pretty steady for some time.  We had a quick pow wow and decided to make a mad dash for the highway rather than risk getting stuck for a few days or bogged.  We did one of the quickest pack ups and hitch ups on record and took off.  We made it to the highway - the added weight of the van on the car helped the stability but the wheels were just big round smooth circles of red mud.  It was so slippery - I got out to open one gate and almost landed on the ground.  But we did it and gave ourselves high fives! and thought how fortunate we hadn't attempted the Strz track which after rain would have had similar conditions.

So now we had an unplanned night.  I had a quick look on Wiki Camps and discovered there was a good little free camp at Wallam Creek in Bollon which was about half way to St George.  So we parked up there and had a chat to the local wildlife - a few geese and saw that the creek was running pretty high and it was still raining.  However the rain tailed off and we'd a quiet night.  

Of course with all this rain the solar panels weren't getting much to help them along so we decided to head for a caravan park in St George the next day.  And that's where we are now.  We're at River Gums Tourist park which is very quiet - this is also very much their off season so only another four vans here.  But we've a nice grassy drive through site with power and water.  The owner was a lovely guy and it was interesting to hear that although St George is fairly isolated they currently have 22 cases of Covid.  But its a lovely town - much bigger than I thought and very well laid out.  Being Australia Day much of it was closed but we managed to stock up on a few groceries at the IGA.  Its very hot and humid here after all their recent rain and the drive here was through some very lush green countryside -  not what you expect out here but the recent rains from the NT have come right down through the whole country.  So I'm holed up in the van and since we have the luxury of power I have the air con on and its very comfortable.  I've already visited the laundry and got a load of washing washed and dried and that will see us through till we get home.  By this time next week we should be pretty close to home so I'll have one more post to cover this next week and that will bring this episode of the Peregrinating Porters to a close.  Stay tuned.