We have moved on and now heading more to the East. The first place we pull into is Cranky Rock. Thank goodness for Wiki camps to find these little hidden gems.

Cranky Rock turn off is 5km east of Warialda, off the Gwydir Highway, the 3 km sealed road will take you all the way to Cranky Rock where you will find a jumble of giant boulders heaped in the most fantastic positions by a past volcanic upheaval, features include a suspension bridge, birdlife and wildlife sanctuary and, a viewing platform. Facilities include picnic areas, a large shelter with free barbecues, public toilets and a children’s playground. There is a full time caretaker and kiosk on site and should you wish to stay overnight or even longer there is a campground with powered/unpowered sites and hot showers available.https://www.warialdansw.com.au/cranky-rock-recreation-reserve

We move on after a couple of lovely days and head to Bingara,

Bingara, known as the “Gem on the Gwydir”, is a great place to visit. Bingara has clean air, clear skies and a great climate. A great little town blessed with natural beauty. Surrounded by hills, the town rests in a natural amphitheatre. The spectacular Gwydir River, the life blood of the town, pulses through Bingara’s heart. Its beauty is indeed priceless.

Whilst here we camped along the river, through on entry read the signs carefully as at times this river can rise rapidly and has been known to take a van or two that get caught. We parked on the higher side and the view was lovely, can be a little chilly. You may even be lucky to see the odd horse or three roaming around. Speaking of horses we met John Wade.

Wade Horses Bingara (formerly Gwydir River Trail Rides) have been offering guided trail rides along the banks of the Gwydir River for more than 20 years.  Locals, visitors, learner riders wanting riding lessons and anyone else smitten by a love of horses and horse riding have come, and keep coming back, to enjoy the ride of their life in one of the most beautiful areas of the region.

Locally owned and operated Wade Horses Bingara boast an excellent team of horses which includes gentle, heavy horse breeds able to carry the largest and smallest riders. From 6 years of age up, all riding abilities can be accommodated as the experienced staff match the mount to the rider’s ability.  First time riders through to experienced riders who enjoy a canter or gallop in a safe environment are guaranteed a great time! https://www.bingara.com.au/things-to-do/bush-activities/horses/

We continued on our travels heading towards Tamworth, passing through the town of Barraba. Here we see another masterpiece of the painted silos. These are now a reason to make diversions on our travels, so many wonderful artists putting their artwork on display.

This mural depicts a local water diviner searching for groundwater, using a y-shaped twig or rod or two L-shaped ones. Diviners study the landscape of a farm and walk over areas where they suspect the water may be located. Ground minerals and magnetic forces force the sticks to cross or be pushed downwards when water is located. Despite many studies claiming the technique is pseudo-science, diviners continue to be used throughout Australia as a way of finding groundwater.
Work began on the silos on the 25 March 2019 and they were completed just 24 days later on the 19 of April. The Barraba Silos are officially the 28 silos to be included in the Australian Silo Art Trail Collection. 

We are stopping the night this time just out of Tamworth. We have found a farmstay to stay out. The Sunrise Cutting Horse Farmstay at Neminga. The campground offers toilets showers and drinking water and is dog friendly, accessible to RV’s camper trailers and caravans on a nice grassy area. Low cost camping, Dawn meets you when you drive in and lets you park up anywhere in the grassed area, the horses come to the fence for a pat. We found this campground on Wiki camps.

A cutting horse is a stock horse, typically an American Quarter Horse, bred and trained for cutting, a modern equestrian competition requiring a horse and rider to separate a single cow from a herd of cattle and prevent it from getting back to the herd

We continue following David and Martina, we finally catch up with them in the Whitsundays. They tell us about their 2 day trip on a cruise through the Whitsundays. There are 74 islands, an abundance of marine life, soft white beaches, coral reefs and snorkelling, as well as the amazing sunrise and sunsets to see.

The great thing they have found with the trip is meeting up with new and old friends, the knowledge of the locals in each area, telling them of the not to be missed hidden gems, the fact that they have no time frame so can pull up and stay that extra day or two if the weather turns bad. Also top tips like north of Mackay area stay our of the water as the salt water crocodiles are around. I think that is the best tip. David certainly looks to be enjoying being skipper.