In Moree, northwestern NSW.
The shortest day has been and gone but now in Newcastle it would be as cold as it gets by day, a wear wool type day. 

Moree NSW and the hot springs of artesian bore water were a good past time perhaps most popular with those of European and Asian heritage but not exclusively.
Hot underground water is found over a vast area.  Other spars were in some Queensland towns. The fresh water can be very smelly at first then it settles, some has too many minerals to safely use on the garden etc and is treated.
Years ago, an early bore in Moree, one of the first, was drilled to round 800 meters with the help of English experts. Unfortunately it flooded the small township.
We are rather fortunate to enjoy a low key road trip, unlike some less fortunate in this country let alone in half of the world.
Some of the northern jungle is like being in a non first world country yet is really safe and benign.
 Doubt I would swap it for a prissy pristine generic resort where there is no environment to really come to grips with.
 

For sheer ambiance the camp around the remote old pub at Nindigully was the place to be.
Most of the traffic on any road is a steady stream of holiday rigs.

Roadside art from Jillambie

Getting closer to the New South border and return to winter weather although it was freezing the other night at Augathela.

Irrigation round the Barwon River and town of St George.
Road kill alley and the plains left behind into woodlands, then trees and grass with big water puddles onto some broad acre crops and maybe cotton and a weir on the Barwon.

Australian age of Dinosaurs Museum is just south of Winton.
The building alone is notable and sits on The Jump-up on top of a rocky mesa.

Could it be a re enactment of the Battle of Waterloo? In Longreach?

No. Far more important. A ride for support for the drought stricken and attention to the mental health problems the drought situation brings with it.
Some others said that prayer for rain was part of it. Beyond Blue?
Much of Queensland is in drought.

Winton, the Dinosaur capital, in central Queensland, is as far west as this road trip goes.

A drought stricken landscape with plain country to infinity

The Waltzing Matilda Centre, a tourist mecca in Winton, central Queensland, has been extensively gutted by fire

Warren Truss, deputy PM, visited these eternal plains and is at the centre today along with the town fathers.
Banjo Patterson and the song Waltzing Matilda was written by him hereabouts.

Sunset, Hughendon, central northern Queensland, last night.
Qeensland community has a share of difficulties. We were not too far distant from these.
Ravenshoe had a very drastic accident in the little shopping centre.
The Waltzing Matilda centre burnt down last night in Winton, we heard sirens last night in Hughenden one of the next big towns.
(A loss in Origin last night)

The highest hotel in Queensland at Ravenshoe in Atherton tablelands which were once covered in tropical forests to which the local vast old timber built hotels bear witness.

A week of showers and windy weather meant leaving the coast of FNQ for the inland where it turns out to be an area stark and dessicated around Undara. But it has a Telstra tower and internet! A wind farm south of Atherton hid in a fog in the middle of the day. First pic is there in mistake.

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4WD addicts. At Cape Trib the sealed road ends and gravel continues to Cooktown when taking the coastal route, it is a valid 4WD road for 100ks with several water crossings that are not trival and very steep grades I am told. Cape Tribultion is reached by crossing the Daintree river by ferry and entering the rain forest jungle on over shaded creeks and sightings of the sandy shores. The other inland route to Cooktown is easy going. Cook and the Endeavour refloated off the reef on June 12 after tossing over tons of gear to lighten the ship and other measures. It was touch and go. They investigated a safe haven to make repairs and on the 15th or 16th entered the Endeavour River, now Cooktown. This post is written close to that point where the barque was beached for repairs.

 A large part of the drive to Cooktown runs through rather hilly country round the edge and into the Great divide on a good quality road.
Rain showers fell over the whole region, some heavy and that they hung around is said to be unusual.

12 June 1770 and Cook is still stranded on the reef until this evening and is struggling to keep afloat.
Meanwhile, the road to Cooktown passes one of the most amazing sights, several large hills of naturally occuring dark coloured rocks.

History and drama.
On 11 June 1770, Captain Cook and his ship The Endeavour, ran aground on a reef a little north of this point. In the Coral Sea off the coast of far north Queensland.
Photo taken this very morning while standing on Cape Tribulation about which Cook's journal states ...here began all our troubles...
Visibility was not good this morning with frequent light rain showers.

Just another Monday in paradise... sunrise...about 20 degrees

Wedding bells a la Port Douglas in the far north.

Cardwell with Hinchinbrook Island is the first close glimps of the South Pacific Ocean again.
Swimming pool was good, a far cry from the cold snap in Newcastle and the south I heard about and which we outran from last Saturday onwards. 

Tuesday, South of Emerald, Stock Droving next 65km. Not continuously!

The only photo in the circumstances.  The flat cotton fields left behind and on to the central tablelands of the sunshine state, about 1500 ks from Newcastle almost on the Tropic of Capricorn but you'd never know it for  the night was very very chilly.
Carnarvon National Park was by passed this time but it is a very interesting one well worth a visit.