We headed back into New South Wales down the Newell Highway.
I discovered that the mobile phone was no longer working. We found a functional public phone and made the calls I needed to make. Then I rang Telstra to see if they could suggest anything. The call centre operator recognised the problem and put me onto Kyocera. The tech support there was wonderful, taking me through a process of patching the code in the phone and getting us back on the air with no dramas.
I had forgotten to fill up the tank with diesel before leaving Queensland so we had to pay 94.9c/l at Moree. (the last diesel I bought in Queensland was 78.5c/l). On previous journeys, the Queensland price had lasted a fair way into NSW but not this time. I guess Little Johnnie Howard's big deal 1.5c/l reduction in the fuel excise has perturbed the market and made all the oil companies hit the motorist's pockets yet again.
We went on 45 klicks down the Newell to a well known rest area at Tooheys Creek. It is off the road but not by much and it will be noisy if the trucks run all night. Oh the hardships of the grey nomads.
In the evening, just as we were getting used to the noise of the trucks and the trains, a plane flew noisily overhead. Then a screaming jet at max low altitude speed flew over at low altitude and made all the other noise seem peaceful by comparison.