PPF (Paint Protection Film)

We have previously applied Suntek Ultra PPF to safeguard the front section of the Chevrolet, including the area from the windscreen to the fenders and bonnet, as well as the vehicle's front segment.

We are considering completing the wrapping of the remaining sections of our vehicle, which include the front and rear passenger doors, canopy doors, and both toolboxes beneath the canopy.

During our investigation, we identified Port Protective Coatings in Port Macquarie, situated approximately 1.5 hours south of our location. This organisation provides BushWrapz and has recently formed a partnership with Xpel. Initially, we scheduled the installation of PPF wrap on our Chevrolet for February 2026. However, the new plotter required for custom panel cutting did not arrive before our departure. As a result, the additional wrapping could not be completed as planned.

 

Due to fuel shortages caused by unrest in the Middle East and the subsequent increase in expenses, we were compelled to conclude our trip to Western Australia prematurely. The installation has been rescheduled to commence on April 28, contingent upon the arrival of their new plotter.

 

We also contemplated having the vehicle wrapped in BushWrapz; however, we decided to proceed with Xpel due to its substantially thicker material. It comes with a ten-year warranty.

 

Xpel presents as a more durable product with a high-gloss finish. Manufactured from elastomeric polyurethane, Ultimate Plus can self-heal minor scratches and swirl marks when gently heated.

 

They arranged for a loan vehicle so we could drive back home and return after the wrapping process was complete. Nonetheless, we felt more comfortable having my wife accompany us in our Honda.

This photo depicts the leading edge of the front door.

The new plotter aligns the wrap so perfectly that it's seamless, making it hard to see where it ends, so saying we were extremely happy with the final result is an understatement.

Heading home

On our seventh day here, Tuesday, April 7, it was time to pack up and head home. During our stay, we bought fuel, made three trips to the local IGA for groceries and alcohol, and spent over $600 in town.

We usually break the drive by camping at Cangai Bridge, 234 km from Bingara, but we decided to add an extra 150 km to today's trip.

We again took the minor road and the shortcut via Myall Creek Road, saving over 30 km before reaching the Gwydir Highway at Delungra. From there, we headed east towards Inverell, 33 km away, then continued 67 km east to Glen Innes.

From Glen Innes, it's 160 km to Grafton, where we connect to the dual carriageway for the final run home. The drive from Glen Innes is gnarly as we pass through Gibraltar Range and Washpool National Parks. 

We descend from over 1070 metres above sea level down to just 5 metres. There are plenty of twists, turns, and 35 km/h corners to negotiate. We share the road with many semis and B-doubles that sit at 100 km/h regardless of conditions, with very limited passing opportunities.

Towards Bingara

On Sunday, March 29, we woke to another chilly morning. Our weather station read 6.4 degrees, but it felt more like 3.6, so the diesel heater was gladly warming things up again. We continued along the Hume Highway for 56 km until we reached the Lachlan Valley Road turnoff, which eventually brought us to Boorowa. There, we refuelled before heading to Cowra.

That evening, we found a quiet spot behind the Molong Bowling Club, sharing the space with just one other van, for an affordable $10. Sadly, the club was closed, and the quirky red donation box was attached to a gum tree. Somewhere along this bumpy road, our Anderson plug detached from the Chev and had been dragging along the road for who knows how long.

Today, March 30, while the morning isn't as cold as yesterday, we've still turned on the diesel heater. We're heading off to camp at Coolah, but will be travelling through Wellington, and I've phoned an auto electrician who can add another Anderson plug while we wait. Thirty minutes and $30 later, we're on our way again. We took the minor Saxa Road, which eventually joined the Golden Highway, for another 33 km into Dunedoo, where we refuelled; 32 litres of diesel cost us $129 – ouch!

Before turning onto the Black Stump Way towards Coolah, we were directed to move completely off the road by more than eight police cars with flashing lights, escorting two semi-trailers carrying very large buckets like those we've seen on the dump trucks operating in the "super pit" at Kalgoorlie. The rest of our trip to Coolah was uneventful, apart from the dreadful road conditions.

We stayed at the Coolah Sports Club again, which is closed on Mondays, so we went to the Black Stump Hotel for beers and lunch. Ros loved her crumbed lamb cutlets, which were so big she took one home for dinner. I ordered a small fisherman's basket and, thankfully, didn't choose the larger size. 

Later that day, we bought groceries and alcohol from the local IGA. Another beautiful sunset here, just like when we came through here about a month ago.

It's a warmer morning today, Tuesday, March 31, so there's no need for the diesel heater. It was a relaxed start, with only 170 km to cover.

The Black Stump Way was rough after leaving Coolah and remained so until we reached the Oxley Highway. Our speed dropped below 70 km/h several times.
We refuelled in Gunnedah, using 41.27 litres for $132. It will be interesting to see if the government's fuel tax cut lowers prices.

We continued along the Oxley Highway before taking Rushes Creek Road to Manilla. We're camping at their freedom camp beside the Namoi River for $10 a night. It has a dump point, potable water, and rubbish bins, all within walking distance of town. It's a large area, so there's plenty of room for everyone.

Today, we're heading 107 km to Bingara, a spot we've visited since 2008 to camp by the Gwydir River.

In the early days, camping was allowed a few kilometres from town, but about ten years ago, a new area opened up. They ask for a donation, which we're always happy to give. There aren't any facilities at the campsite, but Bingara itself has everything you need.

Since our last visit, the dump point has moved to the other side of town, but the water pay station is still in the same place, as shown on Wiki Camps. We were surprised to get a spot right by the river—maybe because higher fuel prices kept some people away. We arrived on Wednesday, April 1, with the annual Easter fishing competition starting on Saturday, April 4. 

Heading East to Jugiong

We've decided to head home and skip our six- to seven-month trip to WA. The main reasons are fuel availability and the constant rise in diesel prices.

After leaving Clare, we ventured cross-country along minor roads, passing through the small towns of Auburn, Saddleworth, Marrabel, and Eudunda. Then we drove through Morgan before heading south to join the Sturt Highway, where we spent two nights camped at Loxton in an RV Park. It's free to camp here, and the grass is the most beautiful, lush green. 

Last night, we camped at Lake Benanee, 16 km east of Euston. If you're here early enough, around midday, you can park near the fence line, where you can enjoy a lovely view of the lake from your van. There's a lower area closer to the lake, but it's quite sandy. The toilets have hand-washing facilities and paper towels. Nine vans were there last night. Site info mentions a donation box, but we couldn't find it—until a man showed up at 7:30 that evening to clean the toilets. I asked about the donation box, and he pointed out where it had been cut from the wall with an angle grinder. If you're a light sleeper, I suggest you sleep elsewhere.

Tuesday, 24 March, finds us camping again at the free camp at Sandy Point Reserve on the outskirts of Hay. We were here 15 days ago, and in that time the diesel price has risen by 89 cents a litre. Back then, there were over fifty vans camped for the night, but tonight, because of the fuel crisis, there are no more than twenty. 

Today, 25 March, we continued further east along the Sturt Highway. The road condition remained about the same as it has over the past few days, with the bitumen cracked and broken up, especially on the shoulders, due to increased truck traffic. I wonder where all the fuel tax the government collects actually goes, as it's certainly not spent on fixing the roads.

We bypassed the turnoff to Darlington Point before reaching Narrendra. The first three service stations we came across were out of diesel, but we found a Liberty outlet in town with some diesel. 

From here, we headed north for 20 km before turning off the Newell Highway and camping behind the Royal Hotel in Grong Grong. Dinner at the hotel was a shared bucket of onion rings, and Ros enjoyed her BLT, while my steak sandwich with the lot was huge. The chef told me I wasn't allowed to use a knife and fork. Yeah right!

Next morning, we continued along the Canola Way through Ganmain and Coolamon, then headed south-east towards Wagga Wagga. Here, we were unable to get fuel without blocking main roads, as each garage I visited already had vans lined up, waiting for their turn to fill up. 

So, we headed for the Hume Highway and filled up at a truck stop in Gundagai for $3.16 cpl before heading further north to camp at Jugiong for three days. A donation is appreciated, and there's potable water, a dump point, and toilets for those who need them. 

On the afternoon of our arrival in Jugiong, the forecast rain set in and was quite heavy on and off throughout the day. 

Friday morning, 27 March, we woke to a very cold 8 degrees, so we turned on the diesel heater. Now, at 10 am, the outside temperature hasn't risen much and remains at 8.5 degrees, while our inside temperature is 16 degrees.

The Long Track Pantry is well worth a visit with wines, condiments, and lovely coffee and cakes. They also make frozen meals, and we can recommend them; on our last visit, we bought their butter chicken, which was fantastic. 

If the inside temperature drops at all, the diesel heater will be switched on again. We have another overcast day with more rain expected, but for lunch, we'll head over to the Sir George Hotel to lift our spirits on this gloomy day. We enjoyed lunch at the Sir George in Jugiong despite the chilly 10-degree weather and showers. No photos of our capricciosa pizza and Lerida Estate Lake George pinot noir, as we were in a rush to warm ourselves up.

The diesel heater was turned on for much of the remainder of the day as the inside vans' temperature kept dropping.

Clare Valley Wine Tour

On Tuesday, 17 March, we looked forward to a relaxing wine tour we had booked and paid for the day before. We waited at our accommodation, ready to be picked up. By 11:00 am, half an hour past the scheduled time, we realised something was wrong. When we called the Wine Valley Tourism Centre, they were just as surprised as we were that the operator hadn't shown up. After talking it through, our tour was moved to Thursday, but we felt frustrated and disappointed.

We've now received an email confirming our tour for tomorrow, with a pickup time of 10:20 am.

The rescheduled tour is now planned for Thursday, giving us a chance to explore the region. Even after the earlier setback, we remain hopeful that this tour will show us the best of the Clare Valley. Steve, who drove us around, knew a lot — not just about the wines but also about which wineries, including some from the Barossa, have vines planted here in the valley, including Penfolds. We tried the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes still attached to the vines and were surprised at how sweet they were.

Our six-hour wine tour in the Clare Valley stopped at a few lookouts with great views. We shared the day with two others: John from Kent, England, and his friend Julie from Melbourne. 

Our first tasting was at Hill River Wines, then we visited Pikes Wines and Brewing Company. For lunch, we ate at Paulett Wines Bush Devine Restaurant, and both had pumpkin gnocchi with a glass of wine. After that, we visited Mitchell Wines, bought more wine, and finished our day at Kilikanoon Wines with a final tasting and a few more purchases.

Martindale Hall

 Martindale Hall was built in 1879 and 1880 as a stately Georgian mansion commissioned by Edmund Bowman Jr., a leading pastoralist. His grandparents, Mary and Thomas Bowman, embarked from England for the distant island of Tasmania in 1829, accompanied by their ten children and a sturdy flock of sheep. Eventually, they carved out a new home in the grassy expanses of South Australia. Their eldest son, Edmund, laid the foundations of Martindale Station near Mintaro in 1839, where he nurtured a renowned Merino sheep stud.

Edmund drowned tragically, and his son Edmund Jr inherited the estate. While studying law at Cambridge, Edmund Jr wandered beneath ancient archways and through manicured courtyards, captivated by the stately grandeur of England's manors. The soaring halls, lush lawns, and towering facades kindled in him an unshakable resolve: he would one day build a manor to match their splendour.

English craftsmen came to design the interiors, adding blackwood staircases, Italian marble fireplaces, and English wallpapers.

Financial pressures forced Edmund to sell the property in 1891. 

In 1891, William Tennant Mortlock bought the house for his bride, Rosye, for thirty-three thousand pounds. They had six children, but only two sons lived to adulthood. Jack Mortlock was the last private owner of Martindale. After his brother died in 1936 and his mother in 1939, Jack arranged for his large estate to go to the State Library and the University of Adelaide. 

He married Dorothy Beech in 1948 and died in 1950, leaving an estate worth over one million pounds. Dorothy stayed at Martindale until 1965, when it was handed over to the University.

The Coachhouse:

The film Picnic at Hanging Rock, directed by Peter Weir in 1975, was shot here and starred Jackie Weaver, Helen Morse, and Ann-Louise Lambert.

From here, we drove a short distance to the historic town of Mintaro and enjoyed lunch at the Magpie Stump Hotel, founded in 1851.

As often happens, our departure day from Clare turned out to be a lovely day without a cloud to be seen.