Our mate Scott called. "Would you like to come back? I've got this great mapping project and you can help with the computer side of things." It sounds like an exciting project, so it's back to NSW. (There are no plans to reach Sydney.)
If that's not enough, get this. The day after we agree to return, another customer calls to invite us to the town he's just moved to, Gulargambone! So we're going back there on the way through too.
Streaky Bay to Wollar via Gulargambone is a long way, so we need to break the trip into more manageable chunks. With that in mind, our first stop is Gawler Ranges National Park.
It's an old pastoral property, declared a park in 2000. They have a long way to go before it is ready for large visitation. (Killing some of the goats would be a good start.) If you decide to go, take your shovel. Despite the lack of facilities, there are still plenty of things to see.
After a quick restock in Broken Hill, we headed out to Mutawintji National Park. We hiked in the mornings, and hid in the shade during the heat of the day. Unlike Gawler Ranges, there are plenty well marked hikes.
While at the park, we did our first on-road repairs to the truck. The road in took a huge bite out of one of the tyres - it still holds air, but neither of us wants a blowout on the highway. We headed out of the park on some pretty minor roads, which turned out to be in better condition than the main road in. Too many gates though.
After a pleasant but long trip, it is again time to work. We spent a couple of days working for the customer who asked us to come to Gulargambone, and filled in the rest of our time there working for some other customers who noticed that we were in town. A sprinkling of rain made the roads a bit sticky (but not quite enough to sow the crops), and once they dried out a bit, it was time to head on to Wollar.