First night back on the road after a spell in ‘dry dock’ for a major electrical upgrade to 24v, and we pull into a great little spot for free-camping, just around 25km north of Dunnedoo, NSW. Tired after a day’s wrasslin’ with a dodgy fuel filter, we were glad to pull off that Golden Highway and find a place of rest and shelter at Uarbry Hall Rest Area.
There’s plenty of space here, but be careful – as the signs warn – not to camp under the trees, as there is the danger of falling branches… and you don’t want part of a bloomin’ great tree falling on your cherished rig (especially if you’ve just upgraded it to 24 volts…).
No showers, but there is an immaculate drop toilet, and a large covered area with bbqs. This camping area is looked after by volunteers and they do a great job. They’ve also provided a lovely little free library (the usual repurposed fridge-freezer) with books and magazines you can browse of borrow, or leave your own. A lovely community touch.
The volunteers ask for a gold coin donation – and it’s certainly worth it.
In some ways, the campsite is a bit of a memorial to the people who used to live here. The hamlet was virtually wiped out in a bush-fire in 2017 with the church, and many homes destroyed. Remnants of the church and this past community can be seen around the campsite, including an abandoned homestead, now completely reclaimed by nature, apart from a Hills Hoist washing line, still standing, in what must have been the yard. There were 49 people living here according to the 2016 census data, but there’s a lot less now.
We had a lovely quiet night here, with two other rigs for company, but there was plenty of space to stretch out, and very little traffic noise. In fact, the loudest noise was the huge mob of Cockatoos who seem to have taken over the local cemetery. There’s history here, for those who want to spend a little time getting to know the area.
