Hello from Tamworth,

I got away at 6:50 this morning, after waking just before 5. I stopped in Windsor at around 9, located a bakery, and bought a  couple of flatish bread thingies with a “pizza” topping, as their Cheese and Bacon Rolls appeared somewhat deficient in  bacon! I then headed along the Putty Road, stopping at about 10 for morning coffee. The topping on the pizza bread thingy was mainly cheese and mushrooms, but was quite tasty. I then continued on to Singleton, where I joined the New England Highway.

I arrived in Muswellbrook at midday, but couldn’t find a Subway for my usual lunch-time repast, so I continued on to Scone,  where I arrived around 12:45pm and got a parking spot right in front of the Subway. I consumed the “sub” around 1pm, at a  rest area at the entrance to the Burning Mountain Reserve (so called because it contains active smoking vents from an  underground burning coal seam; the only known example of a naturally burning coal seam in Australia and one of three  worldwide). I shared part of my lunch with a crow, a magpie, a noisy minah, and a couple of ducks; none of them were  particularly keen on the Jalapeno pepper I offered them.

I arrived at Tamworth just before 3pm, filled up the almost depleted petrol tank, and after a couple of wrong turns  eventually found the motel into which I was booked. It was a very pleasant sunny afternoon, so after settling in, I went  for a walk around town for about 45 minutes. I thought it was warm enough to wear a T-shirt, but most of the local were  “rugged up”!

The motel is quite good; it has a free high-speed wireless broadband internet connection, and the Beer Battered Snapper Fillet that I had for dinner was most excellent.

Today’s leg of the journey was 518km; I’m heading for Dalby tomorrow.

Cheers,
Julian