Premer almost to Inverell

Up and away in record time..YA! Couldn't get into the warm car quick enough. Across the Liverpool Plain's. The soil is fertile, very black and looks very a productive cereal producing area.

They grow sunflowers, sorghum, canola, corn, lucerne and wheat.  It is an area  of just 1.2 million hectares that produces about 37 per cent of the nation's cereal crops. It also grows cotton and we learnt that by looking at the side of the road covered in cotton balls.

The plains were table-top flat so you would think the road would be smooth..but NOT so. Clay soil means lots of expansion and contraction under the road and that means bumps. Plus every few kilometres there is a floodway, a serious dip that requires a similar serious reduction in speed so that we didn't end up airborne (maybe slight exaggeration there but they were very “whoopsy dooish”). Hang in there caravan!!
There appears to be coal mining, maybe coal seam gas and lots of local opposition.

Stopped at Tamworth and it was not what I expected, really. Plenty  of hills about and the town was in the valley. Walked through the park and saw the Golden Guitar.


We then went up the New England Highway over the Great Dividing range to Armidale. The cruiser worked hard and gobbled some more fuel but we had no problems. These are snaps on the go, no place to stop.

Then it was across on Thunderbolt's Way ( a bush ranger who roamed this area in the 1860s) almost to Inverell. Saw cattle in the “long paddock” being drove along the side of the road. Found out there was mob of 430 weaners there because the season was so bad.

We are stopping at a small village called Tingha known for its gemstones where we find ourselves in a great caravan park..by ourselves!!