Day Nine - Burren Junction to Balonne River

Day 9 of our Leopard Hunt - Burren Junction to Balonne River.

Woke just before dawn to watch sunrise whilst soaking our weary bones in the beautiful hot mineral waters of Burren Junction artesian bath, absolute bliss!

It was then time to pack up the swag and off to Lightning Ridge... oops, Ian's lost his phone... last place he saw it? In the pocket of the Swag - so it was unpack the swag, and sure enough, safely tucked away in the little pocket, Ian's phone - he won't be doing that again!

So all packed up again, and it was on the road to Lightning Ridge! The sign heading out of Burren Junction informed us that we were only 3,722 kms from Perth (or should it be 3,234 nautical miles?).

We arrived at Lightning Ridge and did a car door tour, they have 4 different self guided drive tours where you follow particular coloured old car doors placed in strategic places around town. We did the yellow car door tour and ended up at a working opal mine, paid the fee and went down the vertical shaft to explored the shafts, all I can say it would be a very hard life!

We had a look at the Lightning Ridge bore baths, but decided to push on to Goodooga.

The Goodooga bore baths were HOT over 40 degrees, and the first ones we had struck to be chlorinated. A very well set up facility, but none of the rustic charm of Burren Junction (our favourite artesian bath so far).

We had planned to stay in the free camping at Goodooga, but the camp area was just a featureless bitumen car park, so on the recommendation of the staff at Lightning Ridge tourist bureau we set off to Dirranbandi, and the Dirranbandi Bakery on Railway Street that is run by a young Russian couple.

I'm afraid to say, I was underwhelmed... But it did bring us to a delightful campsite called Minor Balonne River campsite, just beautiful.

Wildlife sightings: wild weiro's, flocks of finches - and their pendulous nests that i first thought were bats, lots and lots and lots of emus, and we are now immersed in cattle country.

Sign outside of Burren Junction

Next Leg: Day 10 of Our Leopard Hunt - Balonne River to Coomera ... Leopard Country