Well...Just how long is "Too Long"?????..........Too long for what?? I hear you ask......Too long between adventures in our Bushtracker of course....So, we had a great time exploring the Channel Country in September '07 and then it was back to work in the motels and we found ourselves in Rockhampton in mid December with 2 weeks to go before Christmas and then back to work in the motels again. Not really enough time for an adventure and the wrong time of year for anything but a relax and spend time with family. We made our way slowly towards family in Brisbane and managed a stop off at Woodgate for 4 nights. We'd always promised ourselves a diversion off the highway into Woodgate and for whatever reason...well you know how it goes.

We found Woodgate just ideal and it seems being just South of Bundaberg and it's attractions of Mon Repos turtle watch, has kept it slow to be discovered.....but not for long. We met some new friends at Woodgate at the caravan park ...only place you can camp in Woodgate....and we feasted on Mudcrab and generally enjoyed the beaches and slow pace. However that was short lived and only for 4 days and then it was bouncing around South East Qld for the Christmas Rellie Bash  and then off to Armidale to work the motels again....GASP..so Just How Long is too long??????

We were scheduled for a month off in Feb-March which we were really at a loss as to where to go and what to do. Too hot for the far West or North...so do we head South?? But our next motel is North and we don't want to be travelling all the time. We have a couple of metal detectors and would like to have a look for some gold....but heat and flies of Summer don't appeal to us....after a lot of research, it seems that gold was found in a lot of places in the New England area in days gone by and so we decided to look at areas close to where we were working. After a lot of head scratching, we chose Bingara as it also had a nice river to camp by....The Gwydir River flows East to West from Close to Armidale to Bingara and Moree and then joins the Barwon which flows into the Darling....Water is always high on the list of our camping "Must Have".

Bingara is only a couple of hours drive West of Armidale, but we managed to make it a bit longer with a stopover at Bundarra which is also on the Gwydir River and the Lions park 3 k's South of Bundarra is beautiful mowed river banks with BBQ's and flush toilets and shelter shed.

Bundarra Lions Park - great free camp by the river.

Our camp by the Gwydir River at Bingara.

We still managed to arrive in good time to set up and check out the area and get a cocktail or two happening as the birds all started to come home to roost and drink...what a great time of day. There were cattle strolling along on the opposite river bank and on closer inspection a pair of Water Dragons were swimming around looking for a late arvo snack and the Cockatoos and Galahs all flying about and a Walleroo came down for a drink....a pair of Herons and some Carp bursting on the surface of the Waterhole....How good is this??? And only a couple of hours drive to get here too....Well the sun finally went down...dusk is just beautiful isn't it.....What's that?? Oh now it's the Moon's turn and it's a full one too....what next?? So far so good...we might spend a few DAZE here....

To See the river flowing Click for the Movie