Location: ///songbook.tubby.sailing

T’was a hottish day for travelling today. At one point Ripley’s thermometer fibbed that it was 37 Celsius. More likely it was in the low 30s.

Last night we stayed at a no frills bare-bones campsite at Eumungerie. A large dust bowl quadrangle bordering what at some point in the past may well have been the local sports oval. All remnants of turf now long since chased off by a stunning armoury of prickles, spear grass, bindi, three-pronged skewer thingies, thistles and stinging nettles.

One false step and its: Crikey shit-cobbs my foot stings like Eumungerie!

Still, 10 bucks for a powered site and Ripley blessed us with her relationship saving air-conditioning well into the evening. We watched a Netflix series, ate chocolate liquorice and picked prickles out of Juno’s paws. Worth it.

At around 11 pm I went out to revenge pee on the prickles. Looking up, the firmament was ablaze with stars and looked totally photoshopped.

Today we pushed on up the heat stroked road through Coonabarabran, Gunnedah, and Tamworth to spend the night at a favourite spot beside the river at Bendemeer.

We have never stayed here this time of the year and after a previous nasty experience with mosquitoes we are hoping that the mozzie gods are merciful tonight.

From camp, it is but a short stroll up to the local hotel for dinner. They have a deliciously shaded beer garden where we shall now stay attending to our nutrient intake and fluid balance until further notice.

Oh, and I was just thinking, if the local Eumungerie football team do in fact still train on their sports oval, they must be tough as balls. Play them at your own risk.