Days 17 & 18: Birds of Paradise

Well here we are in Paradise. Well, Paradise Tourist Park, that is, in Tamworth. We drove here on Saturday from Gunnedah, home to the koala. Sadly, the koalas were not actually at home and our search for them proved fruitless.

We drove across sun-baked plains and then into rolling hills as the mercury hit 40 and cows looked for the shade of trees to shelter from the fierce sun.

Perhaps someone out there can tell us why farmers don’t plant more trees for the cows to shelter under. Perhaps no-one cares for their comfort – after all, we eat their kids.

After visiting several Tamworth newsagencies, we checked into Paradise (without needing to die first, although we came close with that relentless heat). Tamworth is awash with councillors and council officers this weekend from around NSW attending their annual bash.

They filled up every restaurant in town. When we finally secured a table at an Indian restaurant, it was us plus 32 council delegates. James was tempted to mention the potholes outside our home in Terrigal, but I thought it was best left to another time.

More disappointment in our search for the elusive non-roadkill roo. The marsupial park in Tamworth had some interesting and colourful birds but the kangaroos and wallabies saw us coming and ran for cover — presumably anyway because we saw no signs of them.

The sign said “Kangaroos may become angry if approached by humans” but it was James getting angry because he wasn’t getting approached by any kangaroos. Skippy had scarpered and Where’s Wallybe?

No visit to Tamworth is apparently complete without a visit to the giant golden guitar on the outskirts of town, so we made our pilgrimage there.

Much needed rain is expected later today in Tamworth as the Lovatt Droughtbreakers strike again.

Barbecueing at Gunnedah.Goodbye Gunnedah as we're off to Tamworth.

Just where are those Gunnedah koalas? Not up this tree, that's for sure.

Cows cluster around the only shady spot for miles.

I meet puzzlers in Tamworth.

This palatial building is Tamworth's post office, just one of the splendid buildings along Peel Street.

Oxley Scenic Lookout with Tamworth spread below.

A king parrot at Tamworth's marsupial park.

A superb parrot, I think.

A regent parrot. Or perhaps a superb parrot. Or maybe a superb regent parrot,

Definitely a peacock.

The closest we got to sighting a marsupial was this sign.

The giant guitar that tells people they are approaching Tamworth, Australia's country music capital.