We were woken by the first flight (small aircraft) of the morning at the local airport. Other than that, just the usual squawking of a over-sized flock of cockatoos as the sun was rising to a cold dewy day.
During last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast we shared the kitchen with a couple from Hobart, another from Launceston and a farming Victorian family.
It is customary to share ‘travelling’ stories with others as we congregate in holiday parks or camp sites across the country. The couple from Hobart were killing time before boarding the ferry across the strait to Tasmania, they were travelling in a small sedan and camping along the way. In their sixties, I though they were very adventurous, until they told us that they have done camping trips for up to seven weeks travelling on the back of a motor bike!
The family from Victoria are on school holidays and the mother seemed to contain all the excitement not only for herself but for the entire family. She chatted endlessly about everything from work, to Dream Pots, to camper trailers, school, etc, etc. Co-incidentally, both her and I before leaving home, had prepared a meal, frozen it, and served it up for dinner last night.The two meals, while still frozen, looked identical!
In the camp kitchen, Thursday morning and we meet the Hobart couple again, they are late rising and they have pitched their little dome tent on the grass just outside the camp kitchen. We have a quick catch up on the weather, sleeping conditions and we’re off to pack up our tent, only to stop once more to chat to a couple who have just packed up their pop-top caravan.
With them, we discuss the pros and cons of over-sized caravans, big-rigs, buses, camper vans, etc, etc. At times such is the life of the self contained traveller.
Finally we’re on the road again, filling up with fuel and leaving Dubbo without any sight seeing…in the plan of things, Dubbo is, on this trip, simply an overnight stop. We have visited Dubbo on other occasions, mainly to spend time at the Dubbo Western Plains Zoo. But not today.
Our plan is to have our next overnight stop in Cobar. As we drive toward the town, we don’t really know what to expect in Cobar. It is a mining town and in my opinion there are two types of mining towns in Australia. The first would be grand towns, with historic buildings, well preserved, a reminder of the wealth and prosperity the town has produced or the second; weary, down trodden, hard working, persevering. A town which once produced a wealth of precious or valuable metal but has run out of steam and will not give up. (Perhaps there is a third; the derelict town, no longer producing anything but still contains a few hangers-on, usually of the historical or artistic, or alternative kind.)
I was not sure which of the first two Cobar would be. Our eldest travels to Cobar occasionally, as part of his work in the mining industry. But of course Cobar is the ‘town-he-travels-to’, to arrive at the mine at the end of his journey, which is more than likely many kilometres away.
Nyngan was our morning tea stop. Morning tea consisted of fruit, buttered Dutch honey cake and tea (from our providore/pantry-in-the-back-of-the-ute).
I visited one of the local churches’ op-shops and picked up a jar of choko chutney (yet to be tested) for three dollars and four pure linen handkerchiefs (at fifty cents each – a bargain).
The town is quite small and we did a quick whip around of the shops after our morning tea break.
There is an interesting mixture of buildings in Nyngan.
The Commonwealth Bank is an art deco style building.
The Beancounters House was once a bank and is now a cafe and accommodation.
The aging Chemist and Druggist store today houses a hair dresser and the Bogan Lollyshop.
Where else in the Outback can you get a sugar rush but at the Bogan Lollyshop? And don't forget the Bogan Fudge! (Please note, the shop is named after the shire it is within, that is, the Bogan Shire. Bogan Shire is on the banks of the Bogan River.)
Nothing beats a helicopter in the middle of town, not far from the Nyngan Railway Station (now a museum).
Not far into our trip we realised that eventually we will have to go through a fruit-fly exclusion zone and all the fruit and vegetables we are carrying will either have to be consumed, given away or thrown into the bin at the approach to the zone. So we have been trying to use up as much of our stash as possible.
Each day we allocate four pieces of fruit each, usually to be eaten while we drive. This has done little so far to reduce or supply.
So when we arrived in Cobar we prepared a big bowl of salad, added a little ham and cheese and sat in the park across for the Great Cobar Heritage Centre to eat our lunch.
The entrance to Cobar is grand, and showy. Approaching from the east, The Cobar Mine sits at the entrance of the town, followed by the Heritage Centre (now a museum and tourist information centre).
I thought it was a little reminiscent of Mount Isa, except in Cobar, the mine is on the outskirts of town, not in the middle of it.
Across the road from this, on display, is the paraphernalia of a proud mining town’s past.
Both Andrew and I were pleasantly surprised by Cobar.
We found it to be a refreshingly proud but quaint in an unusual way.
The locals were friendly and polite.
I found the yummiest patchwork shop where I purchased some fabric for an upcoming birth in the family (a little girl after five boys kind of birth) so I'm going to keep the purchase I made there secret.
I also bought a little pre-cut pack as a gift to give our quilting friend (when we arrive) in Ninji towards the end of our trip.
The quilt shop, unsurprisingly, is called
Cobar Quilt Shop.
We found a wonderful tea room called
Country Simplicity Tea Room which is also an overflowing gift shop
and Australian gourmet food stockist.
I came away with a bag full of gifts and goodies after we'd had a most elegant afternoon tea (well coffee for Andrew). A gluten free selection of cakes was on offer too...even better.
The best, though was that we heard a whisper about a great free camp spot, called The Newey Reserve.
Before setting up our camp for the night we had a look at the open cut mine from the Fort Hill Lookout...
...took a photograph of a rather impressive
hotel...
...and made our way to our camp.
There we found electric barbeques, a toilet block and a tranquil outlook over the water.
We watched the light fade over the water.
I just love how the sky turns pink at sunset.
