22 April 2011 - Narrabri Showgrounds, NSW

Today our oldest grandchild turns ten! How quickly the years have flown, and how scary that is, to think we are also that much older. How fortunate we are to be able to able to travel as we are, to have good health and have had the courage to take the great leap of this form of retirement.

The Nadewar Ranges

It is also Good Friday, and as such even more of a holiday for those about us. For us, it means little except that the world is closed until Wednesday; Wednesday because ANZAC Day falls on Easter Sunday this year, so there has to be an extra statutory holiday tacked on to the already long weekend. We are well stocked up, in a pleasant camp but would like to have the speedo system sorted. However …. c’est la vie.

This morning after a tardy breakfast, and packing lunch, we headed up in to the hills. The Mount Kaputar National Park is just forty or so kilometres east of us, in the Nadewar Ranges, another set of hills formed by volcanic activity between 17 and 21 million years ago. It stands out distinctively as does the Warrumbungle Range, because of the very flat plains around us.

Fascinating funghi

We drove the 59 kilometres to the very top of Mount Kaputar which is 1,510 metres above sea level. The temperature was somewhat colder than we had left down at our camp at Narrabri, but not altogether unpleasant. The views over the 51,000 hectares of the park and 10% of the entire state (on a clear day) were stupendous. There was haze about so the view was not quite as extensive as the brochures boasted, but we were still pretty impressed. We descended the mountain, and enjoyed our lunch at a picnic and simple camping area at Dawson Spring, just two kilometres further down.

 As we wended our way back out of the park, we called in to about three lookout points, all of which had short walks duly undertaken. The park is certainly very beautiful, however as Chris remarked as we stood looking out at the view at one point, this park is far more expansive and grand than the Warrumbungle National Park, but does not have the same level of intimacy.

Mount Kaputar National Park

We were back in our camp by mid-afternoon, and spent the rest of the afternoon alternating attempts to contact India to wish her a happy birthday, washing the caravan and cooking a pasta bake (obviously my turn to cook!).

All tasks were finally achieved, albeit backwards. And so as I finish this, having just popped up to the amenities (in the dark at just 7 p.m.) the stars are numerous in the sky and the temperature is a warm twenty two degrees in the van. We have decided to stay at least another night, beyond this one, but will plan beyond that when Sunday arrives.