Bundarra NSW

After more than two weeks loitering in Maroochydore, I'm pleased to be on the road again! I've been waiting for a break in the weather. It's been hot, humid, windy and at times very wet in south-east Queensland, and very hot and dry farther south. South is where I want to be, but cooler weather is preferable. The destination this time is Batlow by mid-April, all being well. Can't imagine destination fixation being an issue here with that amount of time to do the ~1700km.

So cruised down the Pacific Hwy stopping at my usual haunts on the way to Lawrence, on the Clarence River, to catch up with friends. Then west inland via Grafton to Inverell via the Gwydir Hwy and up over the Gibraltar Range. Driving above 1000m was all cloud and mist, different from other time I have passed this way and very different from the conditions on the coast. Finally at Inverell turning south and then arriving at Bundarra, a small town on the Thunderbolt Way.

I've decided to fill in some time doing a bit of BlazeAid. Fencing after a fire ripped through the countryside from Bundarra toward Bingara in late January. It seems a beekeeper's smoker inadvertently started the fire that resulted in nearly 12000 hectares of burnt farm and forest.

The BlazeAid camp is comfortable with power and water and nice facilities for meals and muster meetings each morning and night. It's an enthusiastic group of about 16 volunteers going into the field each day pulling up the old burnt fences and rebuilding with new materials.