We left a bright, but chilly, Dubbo just before 8am. Brrr ... My ancient, warm, purple velvet M&S blouse is still doing great service!
More of the trees that we'd seen in Coonabarabran were blooming in the holiday park, opposite our caravan - beautiful, but their perfume was hay fever-inducing. Oh dear, keep taking the tablets!
Members of the Dubbo Ladies' Football Team were already stretching & exercising on the pitch & a market was set up ready for business as we drove out of town. Many of the fields & verges were covered with a purple flower (Patterson's Curse again, perhaps?)
We stopped in a lay-by to make coffee at about 10.30am. It was a pleasant break, as we sat outside the van with drinks & muffins. We could hear birds all around us, particularly the raucous screeches of some white cockatoos. By this time, we were just over 50km from West Wyalong. Birds were still nesting & we actually saw one or two sitting atop their nests in trees alongside our route.
In Narrabri, we realised that the NSW/Vic border was looming ever nearer & so we promptly made ourselves two rounds each of tomatoes on toast & large bowls full of strawberries & blueberries, to prevent them from falling into the hands of the border officials! I was still concerned about our bananas, pears, oranges, onions, beans & potatoes but Bob ignored my worries & put his foot down firmly upon the throttle!
As we drove through Jerilderie, several cast iron cut-outs reminded us that "Ned Kelly was here" & we imagined him cattle rustling or fleeing from troopers on these vast open plains. There was little to provide cover, so he would have been forced to outride anyone pursuing him.
Parrots & galahs congregated on the telephone wires & the trees became larger & more plentiful as we drove nearer to the Mighty Murray. I breathed a sigh of relief as we crossed the river at Tocumwal without having been challenged by any "Fight the Fruit Fly" officials!
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