Daly Waters

Arriving in Daly Waters at the iconic pub was a welcome end to a 5 1/2 hour drive. We decided to push on to get here so that we could have more time in Mataranka up the road. We arrived to see the Rodeo was in town (the paddock next door) so that was a bit of a bonus.

The place was packed with cowboys 😍by 2pm when we arrived, most of them looking like they'd been there a while. I hoped that these were the ones that had already fallen off and said "bugger it, I need a beer" cos I didn't like the thought of some of them getting in the saddle in their current state.

Didn't take my phone to the rodeo but Graham got some nice shots at the night session, so will post those at some point. It's an amazing set up, whether you love or hate the idea of it, there's something very raw and basic about the whole thing. And it's a serious part of life out here - these guys follow the circuit in what seems a pretty tight knit community. Of course the boys from the bush raise hell when the sun goes down (hello Lee Kernighan!) so that was fun to watch too.

We enjoyed the Beef n Barra meal the pub is famous for and settled in the beer garden for a great meal with what turned out to be a awesome entertainment. Lou and Phil from Nimbin were a super trippy country blue "grassy"couple who harmonised beautifully, singing covers and originals during the set.

I had to check out the business card I left stapled to the bar a couple of years ago. This is a tradition at Daly Waters so make sure you leave something behind if you're ever up this way. Took me a while to find cos some genius stapled their crap over the top. Of course it didn't take long to fix the situation (sorry Bill blah blah but that's life).

So, off to Mataranka tomorrow to spend a day or so in the thermal springs. 🙂Read more