Port Augusta to Cobar

We were familiar with the first part of yesterdays run as far as Peterborough but we decided that the weather along our planned southern route might be a bit wet. Instead we turned NE and headed to Broken Hill. It has been a while since we had been over this road and we had both forgotten how interesting it is. The vegetation is similar to what we saw between Norseman and Ceduna; Mallee, low scrub and saltbush. However the terrain is more variable with rocky outcrops and interesting hills on either side though at a distance. We were also travelling alongside the Indian Pacific line and through the remnants of the old railway sidings. Now they are mostly no more than a pub with fuel bowsers or roadhouses. We were at Broken Hill for lunch and the question was whether to push on to the longest leg to Cobar where the next decent accommodation is to be found or waste significant riding time when we still have a way to go. We consulted the GPS and decided that we would have light till 6pm and could do the distance by then. This was before we rediscovered that BH has only one service station in the central area and it well away from where we were heading. We spent 20 minutes relocating it and fueling up and then headed out with Bob mumbling about b----y BH. There was lots of dead roos either side of Broken Hill because recent rain has made the verges flourish  and the trucks clobber them at night. There are also lots of goats grazing there but they are less inclined to jump into the road. We rode with minimal breaks and made good time to Wilcannia but although it looks a cleaner town since we last passed through it is not a choice for an overnight stay. There were also lots of emus along the road now but they also stayed well back near the fences. Unfortunately the sun hadn't heard that we wanted it to stay up until 6pm and it went down at 5-30. After that the dusk  came on quickly and the roos came out to feed. Fortunately we caught up with a freighter type truck which had powerful headlights about 65 kms out of Cobar. Bob tucked in about 50 metres behind him and we relaxed and had a slower but safer ride in to town. The truck pulled into the first service station in Cobar and gave us a toot as we went past. There was a motel 500 metres up the road and we pulled straght in. Lucky for us it and the proprieter were really nice and we have had a comfortable night after a Chinese meal at the Cobar Bowls Club. From now on the towns and the accommodation options are closer so we won't face this dilemma again.