Day 7

Saturday
After discussions with a number of different people, we have had a change of heart regarding out route home. The plan was to go via Lightning Ridge, but with only 3 nights left we have decided we wouldn’t be able to do it justice. We will just have to come back another time, so we decided to spend another night in Gular, before heading to Moree.
We started our morning with a walk around the various murals on walls and the water tower. Gular has an active and creative community who are trying to create a place that tourists will visit, and maybe stay a while. It seems to be working as some of the people in the van park have been here for 8 weeks!
The obvious symbol for the town is the Galah as there are hundreds of them especially in the morning and evening. They feature in many of the street art works. The water tower painting, titled ‘Lucky Dip’ by Jenny McCracken was completed for the Pave the Way to Gular event in 20.  Many of the other murals were done at the same time by a variety of artists. Around the area there are many galahs made from corrugated iron, all flying towards Gular. I have included a small sample, you will have to see the rest for yourselves.

We ended our walk at Cafe two eight two eight (postcode of Gular) which was also the Information centre/craft centre. It is amazing what locals have created from barbed wire/chicken wire. Although most of the shops are unoccupied they have been painted in bright colours and various artists have created window displays.

After coffee and scones we needed to do some more walking so we did the Gular Riverside Walk...at first it was rather overgrown but eventually we came to the cleared path. It was a pleasant walk with some majestic trees.
In the afternoon we went for a drive to check out the Armatree pub for future reference, where we found another barbed wire art installation. It is possible to camp out the back of the pub... one for another time. Of course we had to sample their wares before heading back to Gular, with a stop to inspect the Castlereagh River, unusual in that its water source is from underground. 

When we returned to Gular I went for a stroll a couple of hundred metres up the road with binoculars in hand and was lucky to find some Plum-headed finches (a new one for me) and a couple of red-rumped parrots snuggling up on the overhead wires. By this time the Galahs were flocking in their hundreds but I had one that accompanied me for the entire walk, hopping along the fence keeping in line with me.



By the time I returned it was time to head to the camp kitchen for happy hour and damper again. Tonight there were raffles running as well, we didn’t win anything, but all in a good cause. Last year they donated $15 000 to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

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