Located at the convergence of Kennedy Highway and Malanda Atherton Road idyllic Gallo Park rest area is a great place for truckies to have a break.
Spy came across the rest area which is just up the road from the Mobil Atherton Roadhouse and found it had clean toilets, shaded areas and a circular turning area.
So, it is highly accessible for trucks and there were several parked there the day I came across it.
One was a Ballina Removals Transport Kenworth and the driver was doing some maintenance on a trailer.
He was busy and didn’t want his photo snapped but urged me to take one of his rig.
Just up the highway at Malanda I spoke to a local truckies who said that the rest area was popular.
“But it is a hidden secret to many outsiders who pass this area and we want to keep it for us,” he said with a grin.
Lilyvale Rest Area eastbound on the Barrier Highway about 90km west of Cobar is another stop that some truckies have told Spy which suits them.
Many truckies heading east from Broken Hill and Wilcannia towards Cobar use it.
There is also a rest area on the western side.
It is a good distance from the road and is an expansive, providing firm ground and ample room for dozens of vehicles of all sizes, from the biggest rigs to compact campervans.
There are toilets and rubbish bins but little shade other than under a few trees and small covered area.
An interstate driver who snapped the pics of the toilet block outside and inside said he liked it when in the area.
“Yep, good parking westbound and eastbound. Lots of trucks stop there and it is 13 hours from Brisbane and 10 hours from Adelaide,” he said.
On the negative side there is no drinking water fit for human consumption and no mobile phone service.