27-03-2023, 02:16 PM
Thought I’d start this to diarise our slow trip to SA…..
Left Northern Beaches on Saturday 25th, heading towards Bathurst via Bells Line of Road.
Stopped at Bilpin for a coffee and a warm apple pie after some pretty sketchy driving through heavy fog and drizzling rain. Passed a rear-end accident and decided it was time for a break.
Re-energised we made Bathurst in the afternoon and stayed overnight in Perthville at Barcoos Farmstay.
Place is a working farm with limited power sites and plenty of unpowered spots.
Amenities are a Shearer’s kitchen, quite modern and well equipped with good toilets and hot showers in the same block. Certainly made our stopover easier as it was pi55ing down at one stage with an awesome thunder & lightning show that you can only get out West.
Ticked all our boxes !! I would recommend this place as an option to any of the major campgrounds in Bathurst……was $30.00 per night for two on a powered site.
Setup in the lee of an old Caravan...to get out of the howling wind.
Next morning we drove around Mt Panorama (when in Rome….
) and found a new respect for the V8 supercar driver’s skill up and over the mountain, down through the “esses”……
“walk a mile in my shoes “ as the saying goes……
I managed 50kph at one point, in a fully laden Camper with my co-pilot wondering if indeed this was a good idea……and only had one “Oh Fu%$” moment….
The corners come up very quickly in a kombi !!
Managed the top legal speed permitted in NSW, down Conrod Straight…..yeah, yeah….60kph.
Before moving on, we had a look at some awesome vehicles in the Mt Panorama museum....loved the Phase III GTHO
From Bathurst we headed off into Orange and found a town seriously hit by Covid…..most of the shops were closed with only a handful of local businesses open……mostly pubs.
We decided to press on the Forbes , the destination of the 2016 Bus Stop…….and in my opinion, one of the best events ever .
We’re currently at the Apex River campground where we were hosted previously.
Campground has re-opened after the floods and is better than ever and looking forward to any other kombis that want to stop over on their way to SA. Would be wise to call ahead and secure a site, they are getting increasingly busier as Easter draws closer.
Brett is the Manager and a top fella that will look after you.
This morning we took a bus in to town for a bit of a look around and to do some shopping. The bus picks up at the front gate, takes you into town and back for the princely sum of $2.50 per head. It operates on a “hop on, hop off” as many times as you want basis, with set pick up and return times to the campground.
Found this old building sign in a back alley...
Sally, our driver, also drove the Shuttle to the 2016 Bus Stop Dinner !!
We had a great chat and she was stoked to hear that we really wanted to come back to Forbes enroute to SA.
We’re here for one more night and we’ll be heading off…….somewhere……tomorrow towards Broken Hill - ish. Lovely and peaceful here with the sound of the Lachlan River lulling us to sleep at night.
Only a handful of travellers here which makes this place so special.
Left Northern Beaches on Saturday 25th, heading towards Bathurst via Bells Line of Road.
Stopped at Bilpin for a coffee and a warm apple pie after some pretty sketchy driving through heavy fog and drizzling rain. Passed a rear-end accident and decided it was time for a break.
Re-energised we made Bathurst in the afternoon and stayed overnight in Perthville at Barcoos Farmstay.
Place is a working farm with limited power sites and plenty of unpowered spots.
Amenities are a Shearer’s kitchen, quite modern and well equipped with good toilets and hot showers in the same block. Certainly made our stopover easier as it was pi55ing down at one stage with an awesome thunder & lightning show that you can only get out West.
Ticked all our boxes !! I would recommend this place as an option to any of the major campgrounds in Bathurst……was $30.00 per night for two on a powered site.
Setup in the lee of an old Caravan...to get out of the howling wind.
Next morning we drove around Mt Panorama (when in Rome….
) and found a new respect for the V8 supercar driver’s skill up and over the mountain, down through the “esses”……“walk a mile in my shoes “ as the saying goes……
I managed 50kph at one point, in a fully laden Camper with my co-pilot wondering if indeed this was a good idea……and only had one “Oh Fu%$” moment….
The corners come up very quickly in a kombi !!
Managed the top legal speed permitted in NSW, down Conrod Straight…..yeah, yeah….60kph.
Before moving on, we had a look at some awesome vehicles in the Mt Panorama museum....loved the Phase III GTHO
From Bathurst we headed off into Orange and found a town seriously hit by Covid…..most of the shops were closed with only a handful of local businesses open……mostly pubs.
We decided to press on the Forbes , the destination of the 2016 Bus Stop…….and in my opinion, one of the best events ever .
We’re currently at the Apex River campground where we were hosted previously.
Campground has re-opened after the floods and is better than ever and looking forward to any other kombis that want to stop over on their way to SA. Would be wise to call ahead and secure a site, they are getting increasingly busier as Easter draws closer.
Brett is the Manager and a top fella that will look after you.
This morning we took a bus in to town for a bit of a look around and to do some shopping. The bus picks up at the front gate, takes you into town and back for the princely sum of $2.50 per head. It operates on a “hop on, hop off” as many times as you want basis, with set pick up and return times to the campground.
Found this old building sign in a back alley...
Sally, our driver, also drove the Shuttle to the 2016 Bus Stop Dinner !!
We had a great chat and she was stoked to hear that we really wanted to come back to Forbes enroute to SA.
We’re here for one more night and we’ll be heading off…….somewhere……tomorrow towards Broken Hill - ish. Lovely and peaceful here with the sound of the Lachlan River lulling us to sleep at night.
Only a handful of travellers here which makes this place so special.
Cheers,
Mark
It’s not oil, it’s sweat from all the horsepower !
Pit crew for : The Tardis - a ‘76 Sopru Campmobile
& Herman - the ‘71 White Low Light
Mark
It’s not oil, it’s sweat from all the horsepower !
Pit crew for : The Tardis - a ‘76 Sopru Campmobile
& Herman - the ‘71 White Low Light
