Walgett to Lightening Ridge

Walgett to Lightening Ridge

Tom had a restless night – he kept dreaming of cat’s-heads - these unconscious visions started out as simple dreams of the multitude of regular sized cat’s-heads that he had systematically and regularly removed from his tyres over the last couple of days – perhaps this bout of dreaming was induced by his knowledge that the poor old bike still had an unresolved lack of inflation that needed to be resolved in the morning before he could start the journey to Lightening Ridge. Either that or it could be that it was just the culmination of the frustrations that come each time a cat’s-head had interrupted his smooth progress – whatever the cause the reality is that his unconscious visions gradually changed in stages from an intensity consistent with dreaming to an intensity more in keeping with a nightmare. At each stage the size of the villainous cat’s-head increased!

Stage 1 – Tom is calm – Clearly a gentle dream

Stage 2 – Tom starts to toss – something is on his mind

Stage 3 – Tom start to twist and turn – the cat’s-heads are worrying him

Stage 4 – A sound in the night – clearly, he is about to wake – he has seen a monster!

The toss and turning seems to die away – it is possible to sleep – I awake to Tom working away on the under-inflated bike tyres in preparation for his day – the tube repairs and replacements proceed satisfactorily – we breakfast and get ready for departure.

I get the camera ready – must have a departure shot – Tom is ready – the gloves go on – the helmet goes on – one last look at the bike – “bugger” – another flat rear! – the well-practiced repair procedure is repeated once more!

Off he heads on the gravel exit road – oh – it’s a bit sandy – the bike is sent sideways – there is no option other than to take to the verge – the dreams of last night come instantly to mind – Tom is off the bike in flash – he picks the small cat’s-heads out before they can penetrate the tyre and puncture the tube! – perhaps this is the first victory over this wretched example of naturalised Australian fauna - Tribulus terrestris – an exotic name for what some people may crudely, yet highly accurately, describe as “a prick of a plant”.

The van stops in Walgett – fuel both for car and for human – feel a little sad – hate to think about the circumstances that lead shopkeepers to lock away their stores behind security screens.

Shop in the enormous IGA – wander past the cute coffee shop cum bric-a-brac store – The Stone’s Throw – at 9:00 a queue of well healed locals wait for their coffee -  a queue of non-so well healed locals is evident at the service station cum fast food outlet – again – a little sad at the circumstances that create the alternative queues.

Drive around the town – smile - just like every other small town north of Narandera the only restaurant independent of the local club is owned and operated by a person of Oriental descent! – a decent number of unoccupied shops balanced by a significant number of apparently thriving businesses.

Why is that the most impressive building in the whole town is the Court House.

Off in pursuit of Tom – the weather is bright and sunny – 23 degrees – the wind significant but less severe than yesterday and much less in Tom’s face – the road wide - straight  – smooth – the verges reasonable wide – the patches of cat’s-head much less prevalent than in past days.

On the Castlereagh Highway

Over the Namoi River 

Pass the Kamilaroi Highway

Past a cotton field – a god-forsaken cotton field – I wonder weather I should contact the DPI.

Apr 1, 2015 - Cotton boll weevil (Anthomonus grandis) is an exotic plant pest not present in Australia. This insect pest is a serious threat to Australia's cotton industry. If found it must be reported promptly to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline 1800 ...

Setup lunch about 50k’s out of Walgett – Tom arrives – he looks like a new man – “the wind is not so strong” says he – “it is more a cross wind” says he. Off he heads

Onwards – If the legal limit is effectively 30 metres per second then it is hard to justify the accuracy of this sign – “what was the engineer thinking”

Into Lightening Ridge

Photograph the tourists from the tour bus – how many times has this coach guide taken this photograph in this location – their skill lies in their ability to make people enjoy the experience – judging from the noise emanating from the group this is indeed a skillful guide.

No sooner is the van setup and the washing done – Tom arrives – a smile all over his face – a great day – not one puncture since leaving the Barwon Inn – the tide has turned!

A wander around town – not the town I knew 40 years ago – nothing like the town I knew forty years ago – the original miners would turn in their graves! – cafes – shops – art galleries – hardware stores – real estate agents – dentists – even a visiting optometrist.

The seemingly obligatory Chinese Restaurant - at least this one has some Italian competition.

Now this is isolation - sad - sad!

I wander back along the street – still amazed at the changes – I look at a sidewalk café – if I squint – squint really hard – no – mean really, really hard I could almost be walking down Hastings Street in Noosa in mid-70’s – ok – I did squint really – really – really hard!

Peter harper arrives to visit Tom tonight – the good Cate has sent him packing with food for the travelers.