Weekend at Bourke

On Saturday morning we discovered we had a flat tyre, while Mark changed the tyre I cleaned off the Pro Hart artwork from the front of the bus and the bulbar. The tyre place and it was closed, so stayed the weekend in Bourke. Went down to the weir, where there is thousands of bream (and carp) with birds on either side of the rivers, just waiting for the picking. Down river, was a flock of pelicans also having a great feed.

Our first feed of tabbies

Spent the weekend yabbying, put in a net and also was catching the yabbies with a bit of string with meat tied to the end. Great fun and nice eating.

On Sunday the town is like a ghost town, all boarded up.

Bourke

Friday 27th April 2012

Stayed the day in Bourke and booked the 'Back o' Bourke' tourist information centre and the 'Jandra'        paddleboat tour down the Darling River.
The Back o' Bourke was amazing and very informative, had lunch here and then went back into town to check out the wharf and get a few things from IGA. Interesting shopping, can someone please tell me - what is mock chicken drumsticks? The deli sold take away foods - dim sims, fried rice etc and the bottle shop was just amazing. You walked in and all alcohol was behind a full glass/perspex walls, you had to go to a window and ask for what you wanted. Then walked out to the carpark and noticed they have a security guy walking around throughout the day.

Darling River

On our way down to the paddleboat, which takes off from the caravan park, we came across a brown snake sunning himself, he obviously was after his dinner.

Our first sighting of a green tree frog

Might stay here another night.

Cobar - Bourke

My turn to drive, I'll certainly not going to get any speeding fines, not doing 85 -90 km's in a 110km zone.
We leave behind the Lachlan River and head toward Bourke. We have seen hundreds of emu's and goat's during our drive today. Mark is checking out the goats, 'make good floor rugs' for the billiard room was one of his comments.

The vegetation during our travels today is amazing, going through vast open plains, very thick gums, then onto like a cypress tree's then to the odd tree and heaps of undergrowth.

"Cobar"

Our first stop for the day is Cobar, were we check out the visitors centre, stock up on supplies, drive up to the look out which overlooks the New Cobar Open Cut Gold Mine.

New Cobar Open Cut Gold Mine

And yes, had to take a photo of the most photographed icon in Cobar, the Big Beer Can.

The Big Beer Can

After some sightseeing and lunch, we headed off for Bourke. Well Bourke is a very interesting town, as we pull into town the first thing we notice is the police station and the large amounts of police cars outside the station. Drive down the main street and all the shop fronts have roller shutters on them. The local IGA has a large fence surrounding the carpark. We are not staying in town, so went in search of "The Kidman Way Caravan Park" 7km's out of town, at 'Northy' north Bourke. An oasis in the outback.

Lachlan River

Lachlan River - North of Hillston

Tuesday & Wednesday 24/25th April 2012
Tuesday morning we left the Murrumbidgee River travelling through Griffith and Hillston and came to a free camp on the Lachlan River. The Lachlan river is 36km's north of Hillston. We had windy weather there and again couldn't put the kayaks in the river, as this river was flooded and current was flowing extremely fast. Put the yabbie nets in and caught some shrimp, which then went on our fishing hooks, didn't catch any fish. I threw in one net and it got stuck under tree roots, with the current. One net down. Campfires both nights, as Mark is feeling the cold. Had a couple from Brisbane, heading home stop over the second night and shared our fire.

The Kidman Way

Lake Mulwala

Monday 23rd April 2012 - Today we leave Lake Mulwala and the storms, only at nighttime, behind us and headed up the Newel Hwy to the start of The Kidman Way

As we turned onto the Kidman Way we saw our first two emus and another three down the road.

This is where we both feel our journey is truly beginning, as we are now travelling roads unknown.

I recently read a novel 'The Cattle King' about Sid Kidman, lent to my by Auntie Joan, a fantastic read about an amazing man.

Cotton Fields

We have travelled past "Sun Rice County" paddocks of rice everywhere, past massive rice solo's, cotton fields, heaps of vineyards and seeing heaps of damage from the recent floods.

Darlington River

Stopped the night at the Darlington Point Caravan Park, were all their cabins and amenities were affected by the floods on 14th March 2012. The flood water level indicated in the amenities was up to my waist. There is still a lot of flood waters around.

Bling's Story

Mark, Lorelle & Bling

Most of you already now about Bling and how he came into our lives but for those who don't know the story, here it is.

Bling came into our lives Australia Day Weekend 2012, when Tony, Georgina, Katherine and Mathew came down to camp with us, at the Capel Sounds Foreshore. The four of them went shopping at the Rosebud Plaza and Tony saw this blingy cushion and thought we needed some bling in our lounge room and our lives.

Over the weekend and several drinks, it was decided that 'Bling' was going to travel with us.

As family and friends would come and visit us, we have been taking photo's. I'm thinking when I get back I'll make a Bling album, for all to view.

We had a sad set back on Labour Day weekend when all of a sudden we noticed that Bling was missing from his spot on the couch. Bling was missing for two days before he was found in the garden near us.

The mystery is still unsolved.

So though out this blog you will see photos of Bling, but other times you might be wondering "where is Bling?"

The Journey Begins

Mark, Mum & John

Lorelle, Mum & John

On Friday morning after running around saying our final farewell to family, friends and the rangers at Capel Sounds Foreshore, the busses wheels finally started moving. We stopped at the Molesworth Recreation Reserve right on the Goulburn River, woke to a very foggy morning.

Saturday we drove across to catch up with Mum and John for lunch, before heading across to Kyfinns Reserve, 7km out of Mulwala, great free camping right on the banks of Lake Mulwala. Pulled up for two nights, just to chill out, got the push bikes out and went for a ride.