Fred and Candy’s Diary - Broken Hill 2023

Broken Hill FE/FC Nationals 2023 (not doing photos sorry)
Day 1 - left Townsville 2:15 pm filled up at Charters towers. Got to Torrens Creek. Checked into the pub, camping out the back $18 unpowered $30 powered free washing machines and big meals. Great value. After quite a few beers, Fred was talked into going to Winton music fest, tomorrow Saturday. Another 300 km added to the trip. Thank god when he woke he come to his senses, and remembered he doesn’t like Country.
Day two - 8:30 am Saturday back on the road. Barcaldine here we come. Going the back road to Aramac. Apparently all sealed now. about 20 km out of town on the right from Torrance Creek. There’s a small dam and a gravel pit. Looks like a good free camp spot. Stopped at a rest stop halfway between Torrence Creek and Aramac had a coffee and a hot cross bun. Couple of vans pulled up. Yep, Fred’s done plastering on their house, Leon and Di. While standing around talking, I could hear a kitten, crying. Everyone “no it’s a bird” next thing this tiny little ginger kitten walks in. Only about two weeks old I reckon, very friendly. No house or cars for miles. Straight on the phone to Wade the kitten whisper, yep he will take it, bundled it up and and they took back to Wade and Helen in Townsville. Leon is not very happy, whoops. Stopped at Aramac for a beer, lovely group of people sitting around supporting the local pub. Left there about 12:30pm. Barcie was like a ghost town, Everything closed. We had a look at the Tree of Knowledge, historical site, birthplace of the Labour Party. Everything happened under this tree. Someone poisoned the tree in 2006. The town preserve the tree. spend an hour walking the streets window-shopping Went to the historical museum. Takes a good two hours to look around. We got there 45 minutes before it closed. Flew around and forgot to take photos. Out of the five pubs in town only two were still open, had a beer and forgot to take a photo. Yep, first time for everything . Went to the town weir to camp for the night. Couldn’t go near the water hundreds of dead fish, floating great smell if the wind changes were in for a rough night. Made friends with a couple and daughter from Rocky had dinner and sat talking to them until 8pm Steve and Family. She works at Aldi‘s said Townsville will get one before Mackay, yeah .
Day three -
very rough night sleep. Yep wind changed, oh my god I tried to get Fred to pack camp at 9 pm. In and out of consciousness until 4 am. Woke to Fred mucking around with the fridge battery. Didn’t have enough power and stopped. Yay we packed up and left to give the car a run, about bloody time 10 minutes down the road, pulled up and finally had a good sleep. 7 am Fred was up making me brekkie and coffee in bed. Thank god I might survive the day. had a shower and hit the road at 8:20am. Blackall, stopped and walk the streets, talk to the local Car Club, that we are out and about on a car cruise. Got a coffee, (finally yayA cappuccino) nice free toilets and showers with hot water in the middle of town and a nice free camp. Went for a swim in the thermal spa (town pool) two dollars entry, worth every cent. Fred looks very relaxed and about 20 years younger. Off to Tambo 12 midday.
Got to Tambo had lunch at the lake and then went for a look around town. It’s Sunday and everything is also closed. Stopped for a beer. Ok finally have phone service. If you are travelling around Australia. DON’T GET OPTUS.
At Augathella for the night. Set up camp. Got the tv working. Have to go to the pub to watch Cowboys play at 6pm. Not on normal tv. Bugger.