Good morning all,

Travelling in the outback is a totally different ball game lately with all the rain.

Which brings me to let you all know, I have many phone calls asking if the road through Wilcannia is cut by floods.

There is no flood in Wilcannia, it is a high river, the Darling here in Wilcannia has not broken it’s banks as yet, the Barrier highway will not be cut in any case, the flood plain lakes have not started to fill yet.

Actually, flood warnings from BOM are very misleading for this area.

So, please take particular notice of our Central Darling Shire road reports, they are accurate, and be assured the bitumen road through Wilcannia will not be cut. The Darling will rise quite a bit yet and hopefully will put water in the 3 to 400,000 acres of flood plain and lakes to the east. And as most always happens the Darling is now running into the Paroo river.

Now what’s happening?? The big event, poster attached, thanks to Chris Wauchope, is the Nanua Gymkhana, a big weekend down the Wentworth road. Friday night and Saturday this week.

Also, the Big Bogan Festival at Nyngan is the next Saturday the 22^nd. And back to Cobar for the Cobar Festival of the Miner’s Ghost and Grey Mardi Gras the next weekend, the 28^th. to 30^th. Big weekend in Cobar.

More rain coming this Thursday and Friday, feel sorry for the wheat growers, and the Victory Park Caravan park will have to be closed in the very near future. The water is creeping in.

Our Coffee shop here in Wilcannia is once again open, and serving really yummie food and coffee and our Golf club restaurant also awaits you.

So drop in, use our dump point to empty your van, fill up with water at BP and top up with fuel as well.

Keep your eye open for Sturt Desert Peas, Darling peas, (Topar to Broken Hill), and there’s flocks of “budgies” on the move as well.

All the best till we catch up again, always say hi to a stranger, it’s a small world.

Oh and listen to our fabulous outback radio stations, cheers,  Bill Elliott.  WCTA.