Yeehaa.... Cooma Rodeo here we come!

When we heard there was a rodeo in town we just had to stay in town. The Cooma Rodeo was supposedly one of the town's biggest days of the year. It was a hot day and there were many cowboys and cowgirls dressed for the occasion. We stuck out like a sore thumb. If only Josh had kept those boots, buckle and shirt from Texas, we would have blended in a bit more.

Anyway, there we were, the Birkenstock family, sitting in the crowd trying to work out how it all works. We just wanted to see some bulls bucking and some riders being thrown. There was a lot of lassoing, a lot of Jim Beam drinking and not much in the way of bucking bulls.

It was a fun afternoon nonetheless followed by a mandatory snow cone. A must at any country show.

Next stop, the mighty Murrumbidgee River.

We left Cooma and followed the highway through the hills of Koscioszko past some of the areas where the last major fire was almost 30 years ago now. The trees and the landscape were severely changed from that fire and now just tall dead trees are a stark reminder of the intensity of the fire that went through there. Onwards through Tumut for another crap coffee stop (we really need to purchase a nespresso) , through Wagga Wagga and onto Darlington point.

A cracker of a campsite awaited us right on the mighty river. It was a long drive but worth it when we got to the Park and saw the river right at our campsite. Just a night here but it was a great setting for a rest stop.

Another long drive through flat dry country side awaited us as we made our way through to Mildura...Sunraysia country. Finally we saw some animals along the way. Plenty of wild emus in the  grasses along the road and plenty of rotting carcasses squashed on the side of the road.

Entering Mildura is really like an entering an oasis. This incredibly fertile land growing grapes, garlic, tomatoes and melons amongst a very dry landscape. We have found another beautiful campsite which is set right on the Murray River. We have decided to stay here a couple of days as there is plenty to do. We will then be off to Mungo National Park where we will just take the car and tent and rough it for a few days.

How Australian is this scene? Kathryn O you would love it!

The kids ever so willingly doing their homework.