Bourke

Bourke is not very far from Cobar, so the plan was to set up at the Kidman Park, have a cup of tea and head back into Bourke to so some sight seeing and head off again next morning. Trouble was, we got talking to some fellow campers who arrived just after us. So we stayed two nights.

Our sight seeing day took us out to Brewarrina to see Aboriginal fish traps.
"this elaborate network of rock weirs and pools, built to catch fish as they swam upstream, stretches for around half a kilometer along the Darling Riverbed just below the weir. The fisheries are still luring fish today as they did 40,000 years ago and the area is still a significant place for Aboriginal people.
Local indigenous people maintain the fisheries and rebuild them, depending on the natural flows of the river.... ....despite serious degradation, the fisheries are still used today by the local community to catch and feed fish"

I took many photos. Here are what I consider my best shots











And a photo I got off the Internet





Beside the weir is a fish ladder so that fish can swim upstream, at least that's what Brandt told me.



Then we headed back to Bourke and went to the sight of the first loch built on Australian rivers and the only one built on the Darling.






Then out to the Bourke cemetery to locate Fred Hollows' grave

Cobar

The name Cobar is derived from the Aboriginal Ngiyampaa word Kuparr, Gubarr or Cuburra, meaning 'red earth' or 'burnt earth', the ochre used in making body paint for Corroborees. It has also been suggested, but it is less likely, that the name may represent an Aboriginal attempt to pronounce the word 'copper'.

As one enters Cobar the mining theme is immediately noticeable.


While Cobar got its start on copper mining today, and throughout history, gold, silver, lead and zinc have also been extensively mined in the district.

A short distance from the centre of town is Fort Bourke Hill Lookout.


The colours of the cut walls strike me as being coppery. We were able to view what we thought was an open cut mine, which it was, but now they are working underground. A tunnel at the bottom of the open cut leads underground






Sunday afternoon we drove West to Mt Grenfell, which is reputed to have some of the best Aboriginal Cave paintings in the country.


We did not see the above sign when we first started on our walk (we saw it at the end). Hence we had a lovely (5km) walk up the mountain





fought off flies


and finally came across the Aboriginal cave paintings






On our last day in Cobar we visited the Museum. There were many photos of life in the past


as well as preserved and restored relics





A short walk outside took us to the original Cobar mine, now filled with ground water. The water is very green and unsafe to drink. However the colours in the surrounding cliffs were spectacular

Narromine area

Monday: Went in to Dubbo and got a second key cut for the car, a replacement aerial for the one stolen overnight at Moruya, and got Telstra to see why I couldn't send emails from my mobile.
While there had a very quick look at the Old Dubbo Gaol. I say very quick because we looked at the entrance, the admittance fee and went no further.


Tuesday: retraced our steps and visited Peak Hill open cut mine. Took our time following a walking trail there









The colours caused by oxidation were amazing.



Then it was on to the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope.


We struck it right as they were almost constantly moving the dish.


This telescope was used in 1969 to receive and forward the images of the first landing on the moon.

Wednesday: drove to Dubbo again, and joined up with Lyndal and her family. We all walked the 3km along the banks of the Macquarie River to the zoo








..... where we had a BBQ lunch. The swans hung around for any scraps we may have had


Across a water barrier alongside the cafeteria were spider monkeys and ring tailed lemurs.


We happened to be there as a keeper was feeding dried apricots to them



Thursday: were taken to have morning tea at





The old tram housed the kitchen and a dining area. We chose to sit outside under a canopy.
Around the back alpacas were yarded. Some had been recently Shawn.


There were a couple of feeders and some cute young alpacas.

P.S. Cotton picking at Narromine

The following Thursday we were in the cotton area so popped back to see if anyone was picking. We were in luck. One place was doing a second pick, which we were told was quite rare these days.


Another place nearby was doing their first pick.


The harvester automatically wraps and drops a bale, so the driver does not need to stop, but just keeps going constantly.

On the road again.......at last!

Monday 29th April we got up with the birds and took the cruiser to the garage in Thomastown for the day's work to be done. We picked up their loan car, had breakfast in University Hills, collected a cheque from the company who made the van's oven (Brandt carried out the repairs when the oven door fell out on the way to Adeles Grove last year), cashed the cheque, visited a caravan superstore and returned to the garage. Would you believe it, a part that had been ordered the previous Wednesday, and followed up again on the Friday, had only just arrived. So we returned to Gisborne in the loan car. After putting the electric fence gate back and walking across the paddock to the caravan, I heard Brandt say "have you got the key in your bag?" Oh no!!! The key was in the centre consol in the cruiser (where I always put it). Seeing as no one there knew how to pick a lock we drove the 59km back to the garage at Thomastown and collected our key.
Suffice it to say that we got our car back on Thursday and left Gisborne on Friday, overnighted at Narrandera, arriving at Narromine about 3pm on Saturday. Here we are staying with another of Brandt's Young Farmer exchangees.


On Sunday we were taken for a drive to learn about cotton growing. The harvest is over for most farmers and we were unable to see a picker in action.


The field of cotton ready for harvest


The flower is yellow for one day


then changes colour


The cotton boll


which bursts open when ripe


Once harvested the cotton is bailed and stored awaiting processing.