Moree to Narrabri is the next section of this odyssey.
Day 1
We were told there was a lot of roadworks south of Moree. So we floated the horses til we reached the end of it and began our journey. For future reference the Drovers we met up with later on during this section said staying at the saleyards was a much better option for slow travelers. There is facilities there like toilets and showers that are good condition. This is about 17km following the stock routes detour from the Showgrounds. Our midday rest was at Gurley Creek which we had to travel a little ways up to find a waterhole. From here there wasn’t any water until we reached Glenroy Bore (31km from the Saleyards). This stock reserve has a trough, tanks, lots of green grass and a hot spring! It was the perfect place to spend the night. We had a visit from a local farmer in the evening and he guided us on the best spot which had water to rest the following night.
Day 2 – 24km
Thanks to some helpful local advice we selected Boggy Creek for our rest stop and a midday rest stop at Waterloo Creek. Unfortunately this day was not without some misadventures. The support vehicle hit some abandoned electric fence wire across the road which became a tangled mess around the axles and brakes. It took the support driver a couple hours to untangle that mess and the float and tow vehicle now sport some memorable dents. We had another mishap with Melika also getting entangled in the same kind of fencing abandoned in the stock reserve, thankfully she stayed calm and a few swift knife cuts set her free. We reached our overnight rest area at Boggy Creek with little further fuss.
Day 3 – 21km
The day brought rain, so we suited up in our trusty rain poncho and pushed on. We caught up with some seasoned drovers, who also shared tips on ideal overnight stops for the evening. One particular drover, Vane, has been droving cattle since 1964! We had a lively chat about our awareness campaign, exchanged insights for the upcoming sections south of Narrabri, and he even shared contacts for like-minded supporters. He also offered valuable advice for our next trek through QLD, drawing from his experiences up to Tambo. We also had an interesting discussion about the changes in Agricultural practices and what he’s noticed over the years from changing soil life to flora and fauna. Our overnight spot at Galanthera Tank, just past Galanthera Creek, provided a fenced paddock where the horses really stretched their legs.
Day 4 – 28km
Following the drover’s advice from the day before we found the next days water points with ease. The looming presence of Mount Kaputar grew clearer as we journeyed. We had to take it slow as Melika lost three shoes that morning during her spirited gallop in the paddock. Thorny briars made the stock reserves a challenge, so we stuck to the gravel road. Not a single shoe has come off Glory with the other attachment method, so I’ll definitely be using that for Melika from now on. Our midday break at Spring Creek, just outside Narrabri, refreshed us before we headed to the Narrabri Showgrounds for a couple of days’ rest.
