Moree to Surat.

Our first night sleeping on the new stretchers in our borrowed tent.
I slept well, asleep by 10pm, waking once for an early am pee and then back to bed until 7am. Celeste had trouble getting to sleep and woke up earlier than me. We both agreed that the stretchers and self inflating mattresses were a good investment. Leisurely breakfast and then packing up. Learning how to best take down and roll up the borrowed tent. Also re-arranging the back of the ute to best accommodate our gear. Interesting how habits/techniques from previous road trips - especially those undertaken on the bike - quickly return.

On to Mungendin on the banks of the Barwon river. Coffee - not the best - then a quick stop on the river to show Celeste where I stopped on the round Australia trip in 2012 with Ursala and Marco.

Eerie feeling retracing some of the route we took on that trip. Also interesting how some places, stretches of road are etched in the memory. Why - out of the hundreds of places we stopped at and the thousands of km we traversed, do some resonate more vividly?

A brief stop at Thallon to view the freshly painted grain silos. Great to see this initiative take off. Adds a touch of magic to otherwise boring industrial sites.

Lunch at St George - on the banks of the Baronne River. St George is a pretty town but lives under the ever present threat of floods.

On to Surat and the Surat Fishing and Restocking Club Recreation Ground. Prime Grey Nomad territory, and by 3 in the afternoon, all the best camping spots are taken. We manage to find a flat spot for the tent, albeit a little close to the road. Earplugs may be needed to dampen the noise of road trains passing in the night!

Again this is a spot we stopped at back in 2012 on the bikes. However, on bikes you can squeeze past the large boulders strategically placed by the authorities to prevent vehicles from gaining access to the grassy river bank.

A late afternoon walk back into Surat - alas too late to visit the Cobb and Co museum. Pick up some beers for the next few days and back to the campground. Sunset drinks then back to the camp to download photos, blog and a light meal. Another early night beckons.

Tomorrow on to Carnarvon Gorge via Roma. Hopefully we can spend at  least two nights there and do a decent walk up the gorge....