Just Missed the Wallaby at Moree

---

It was a cold night for me without the heater but the morning was sunny so we started warming up. After breakfast, we set off, through Collarenabri towards Moree. Again everything was very flat but as we got closer to Moree we started to see much more green in the bush and beside the road. Some of the fields had been planted with crops and some were obviously recently harvested cotton crops, with the white stubble still in visible. There was also water in some of the creeks. Just a few hundred kilometres can make a huge difference to the climate.



A wallaby jumped out of the bush and hopped along beside us for a few metres. We were lucky he didn’t try to cross the road, as he’d intended. I think our large size changed his mind, thank goodness. We didn’t want to add to the dead ones we passed, unhappily on the road or get our vehicle damaged. We did see a Wedgetailed Eagle feeding on a carcass of a large male kangaroo beside the road. I still didn’t get a photo, though.



The drive into Moree took us past some beautifully kept gardens with lovely red autumn colours on maple trees. It is much bigger than we’d realised and seems to be a well presented place, with no sign of barred windows or large iron fences – a real contrast to Walgett!



We found the Showgrounds OK and got set up. Then to the first stop, the Tourist Information Centre. We were just in time to grab a few brochures and information pamphlets and sample the pecan nuts before the lady closed for the afternoon. We also booked for the Cotton Tour at 10am tomorrow ($30 each). We’d passed several cotton gins on the way to town so we hope we get to see inside one.



Next we went to a small but well kept park for lunch and then did a little shopping. After stowing the food and collecting our bathers we went straight to the hot Artesian Bore Baths at the Moree Swimming Centre. It’s part of a complex and you have to pay to go in this one ($6 for Seniors). The water didn’t smell ferny like the other free ones we’ve been in. Evidently they put chlorine and salt into it, so it is very clean. There are 3 outdoor pools covered by sun sails, with the hottest being only 39 deg C. It was cool enough to stay submerged, unlike the Lightning Ridge one, and Barry didn’t find it too hot, although he spent most of the time in the slightly cooler pool. I made use of the strong jets of water that poured into the pool from nozzles. They acted like a warm massage and felt really good on my sore shoulder.



We discovered that we could get a Seafood Basket for only $15 in the Royal Hotel opposite the pools, so that was our next port of call. Inside the dining room, we were surprised to see lace tablecloths set on the nice wooden tables. There were also some old long fabric blades hanging from the ceiling, attached to metal rods. It seems it is a set of fans that operate by a motor driving the rods to swing the blades and it still works (although it wasn’t on).



The meal was delicious – crispy chips and batter on the tender fish, calamari, prawns seafood stick pieces and a scallop, complete with a good portion of salad and a little pot of Tartare Sauce. We topped it off with a VB for Barry and a glass of white wine for me. I’ll sleep well tonight, with the spa and the wine!

---

Photos

On the way to Moree
The landscape has changed enormously with much more green and the grasses growing lush and long.

Quilt at Tourism Moree
This beautiful quilt was made to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia by the Moree Quilters and given to the people of Moree in 2001. It features many historical buildings and local agriculture and animals.

Jellicoe Park, Moree
A lovely spot for a picnic and some bird watching.

The Dining Room at the Victoria Hotel, Moree
We had dinner in this lovely room, with lace tablecloths on the table and a very old "air conditioner". The blades hanging from the ceiling move back and forth pushed by rods attached to a simple motor in another room.

The former Reid's Emporium, Moree
This is one of the old buildings in Moree, built in 1904 in the Federation Romanesque style.

Moree Artesian Bore Bath Swimming Centre
This town charges for their hot bore baths, which are part of the swimming centre. They have 3 pools of different temperatures and Barry found the middle one the most comfortable. I took advantage of the strong water jets that massage you (see top corner)