Day 98 & 99 Boonah to Armidale

We were a bit indecisive about which way to go today. We have to be back in Melbourne in a week’s time. But looking at the weather forecast for Victoria we decided to take it slowly to get there. We might as well enjoy the sun and drive a bit more the last two days, right?!

So off we went to Boonah where we did some grocery shopping and visited theTourist Information Center. The information Centers in Australia are terrific. You can get lots of flyers and booklets about the area and there are always some friendly volunteers around that can tell you a lot about the highlights and the history of the area. In the odd occasion the volunteer is a bit too keen to talk and you find yourself searching for the opportunity to run away without being rude. Not in Boonah though and we left a lot wiser.

After saving a bird that was trapped in the public toilet we drove to Mount French. From there we had a great view over the Scenic Mountain Range.

Then we drove the Falls Drive which was a winding road and very steep in places but the view and scenery were amazing! It was heaps colder up in the mountains. We had lunch at the Queen Mary Falls Picnic Area and then we walked to the lookout and then to the base of the Falls. Very pretty!

When we got back to the car we drove to Tooloom Falls leaving Queensland behind and entering the state of New South Wales. There were a few signs saying ‘Council seeks funding from the government to upgrade these roads’.  If I had plenty of money I would have put in a donation straight away. 

These were some awful roads!

But we made it to the Falls and put up camp next to a provided fire pit. We had bought a bag of wood from a farmer today and this evening we will not be freezing.  A great spot to spoil ourselves with some meat on the BBQ and meanwhile I have slow cook beef on the fire in my Dutch Oven for tomorrows dinner. Yum!

After a rather cold night it became even colder the next morning. We drove towards Tenterfield and we could feel the wind getting more intense as we went. By the time we got to Tenterfield we could see people dressed in hats, scarfs and winter jackets. As soon as we got out of the car we knew why. The wind was absolutely freezing. We put on some extra layers and walked around town for a bit and did some shopping.

We had lunch a bit further out of town at Bluff Rock Rest Area. It was too cold and windy to enjoy it in peace and a soon as we finished eating we jumped back in the warmth of the car.

We drove to Armidale via Glen Innis. After reading some reviews about accommodation we chose to book a site at Armidale Tourist Park because we read that they had a heated TV room. And that’s where we’re sitting right now… warm and cosy, watching Master Chef.