Arriving at the opal capital of the world: Lightning Ridge

Woke this morning to find the caravan covered with jacaranda petals . Last night, Major and Katie slept in the caravan with us, while Del and Stego stayed in the ute. Although Major is 50 kg and only 16 months old, he has a remarkable capacity to stay still and actively seeks out confined spaces with a hard floor. Consequently, life in a small caravan suits him well, whereas Del prefers more personal space and a softer bed. Katie is on Clomicalm medication as travel stresses her a little, especially at night. And us? Well, we need to remember where we put things and get used to limited space (both in the caravan and the ute) without resorting to irritation, which we manage -- most of the time! As the days slip by though, travelling south is changing from tolerable to more pleasurable. With a menagerie on board our days are punctuated by dog walks, the best being at Dirranbandi along the banks of the Balonne River which runs full and upside down. Coffee at Hebel rated 10 out of 10, then into New South Wales where we lost an hour. Onto Lightning Ridge -- the opal capital of the world where torrential rain has left the country oozing mud and water -- and croaking with countless frogs and trilling crickets.