October 5th-9th trip to Dubbo, Cobar, Gilgandra, Mumbil

The birds are HUGE here.    That Ewu that we saw could probably carry you away.

We got to see many Emus on the way from Cobar to Gilgandra but we were whizzing by to fast to get a good picture.   Plus it was cloudy and rainy.  They are huge birds.  

We also got to see a large turtle crossing the road and what we thought maybe was a Wombat waddling across the road just ahead of us http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wombat

but someone told us that since it was waddling it was probably a Echidna  http://australian-animals.net/echidna.htm   What ever it was, we saw it waddling into the grass along the side of the road before we got to it.     We were just glad we didn't hit it.

Motel in Gilgandra that we stayed at

This is the cabin we got to stay over night in at Gilgandra.  There are about 36 cabins at this motel. 

 The Dubbo Branch President and his wife (from Utah) owns it.  

Even though there are so many cabins we still had to share our room with another guest. Economical, right?

We will be coming here to their motel for Thanksgiving.   They have a big dinning room for their motel guests to eat at.    The guests let them know what time they want breakfast or dinner and they are served there in the big dinning room.    We are excited since Australia does not celebrate Thanksgiving.    But the wife is from Utah and she likes to celebrate still so we are having a real Thanksgiving dinner.   

Our apartment in Dubbo

Here is our set up.   There is no central heating in homes or apartments so we moved into this one room.  

Ate, computered and slept right here on the floor with one heater and the door closed. 

The lovely roads of Australia's Outback (it seems like it)

Here is the type of roads we travel on a lot.   

I just figured out a good way to describe these roads here in Australia.  

Remember in the 1st "Cars" movie.   Lightning McQueen had to pave the road that he messed up.  

Do you remember how he did it the first time?   

Madder went riding down it bbbbooooooooooouncyinnnng aaalll tthhhe wwwaay.  

Well, that's the country roads here in every direction  the second you leave Orange.    And these are just the main roads.   Get off the main roads and they are dirt.     

 

All the roads are lined with trees, even the main roads.   You have to look close to see the country side through opening in the trees.     

Here is one of those times.

It was raining hard and we were driving so the picture is a little blurred in front but you can see how flat it is on this trip. 

Now does this look scary or does this look scary?   Cars coming at you on the right side of the road. 

Let me tell you from experience.   It is scary.  

And that truck up in front of us took up 2 lanes.   All the cars coming towards us had to pull clear off of the road.   Many places there are not sides of the road to pull off onto.    So a police car with lights flashing goes ahead to warn people so they can find a place to get off.    

There is a lot of mining that goes on here and so I assume that this is some kind of mining equiptment.

We are starting to get comfortable with the driving now.   But  like wild animals, our instincts kick in and we find ourselves making  mistakes.   Going to the wrong side of the car to get in.    Reaching for the break on the left side, now the passengers seat, when it is not there.    Not looking to the right before taking out.   NOW THAT WAS REALLY SCARY ONCE.    And those "Give Way" signs?    I yell stop at every one of them now when Elder Tietjen is driving.   We went through one of those one to many times.   We had cars honking at us coming from both directions.       We have learned to not get to comfortable as we drive. 

YET!!!

We met lots of nice people and made new friends.   We also got home safe in our apartment in Orange without any exciting episodes.