Bourke/Peak Hill

28 June
We left Charleville and encountered something we had not seen previously on this trip - rain. I did have the wipers on intermittent for about 1 minute as slow as they would go, but it was definitely rain. We have been blessed with the weather on this trip and missed some quite substantial storms that have dumped plenty of water on areas that we had since left. The bush telegraph from other campers has kept us informed of how lucky we have been to miss the rain which had closed roads that we have already travelled.
Travelling through North Bourke we passed what was to be our campsite for the night, Kidmans Camp. We decided to visit the Bourke information centre and work out what the local attractions are and what we could see in the short time we were there, having decided to stay only one night. We decided to see the local lock and weir as this was quite close to the town centre. The lock and weir were built in 1897 to ensure a permanent supply of water to the town as the Darling River emptied too fast after rain. The Bourke Lock was the first to be built in Australia and the only one on the Darling.
From there we booked in at Kidmans Camp and set up the camper trailer before exploring the surrounds. We decided the swimming pools were too cold but the boys were rapt when they found that the well appointed camp kitchen had a TV as well.

29 June
This morning we woke up and headed down to the Darling River for a ride on a paddle steamer, the P.S. Jandra. This boat is actually a replica of the original Jandra utilising diesel generators to power the 2 independent paddles via electric motors. The original Jandra was built in the 1890's and its paddles turned together meaning it had a very poor turning circle (it was later converted into a barge and towed by the paddle steamer Nile). Although this boat is not very old, the boat's captain gave us plenty of information about the history of the area as we cruised down the Darling and made it possible to imagine what it was like living in the past.
On leaving Bourke we headed for Parkes, on the way stopping at Nyngan for lunch. We had to laugh at the signs saying that it was in the Bogan Shire and we decided what better place to have lunch than at the local Skate Park - surely this would be where the best of the best bogans would be. After the boys had had a skate with the locals, we headed off and passed signs that stated we were in the Bogan Catchment Area (and there was no prison in sight) for the Bogan River.
We decided that instead of travelling to Parkes we would finish our driving a little earlier and stop in at Peak Hill. On arriving at the Peak Hill Caravan Park we started setting up our camper trailer when the owner came past and offered us scones, jam and cream which were delicious - apparently this happens every evening at 4pm. Afet setting up we wandered over to the Big Fish Fossil Hut that is inside the caravan park. The collection includes a range of fossils that lived across Eastern Australia over the past 700 million years. The biggest fossil is a 4.5m long fish that is the largest on display in Australia.

30 June
Leaving the caravan park we took a walk around the open cut mine where they used to mine for gold in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A commercial company resumed mining in the late 1900s and early 2000s and a walking track has been built around both areas with information provided along the way. There are some wonderful views that show the extent of the mining.
From Peak Hill to Parkes was only a short drive of about 50km and we called in to see The Dish. We all enjoyed the interactive displays and saw 3 short 3D films about The Dish and the universe. The Dish is 64m in diameter but looks a lot bigger when you are close to it. This picture is taken from the visitor information centre.

Our next stop was for lunch at Young where we caught up with John and Moya. It was good to see them and their new house and have a beautiful home cooked meal again. Although we have eaten very well while we have been away there is nothing like a home cooked meal. We set the GPS for Gundagai and although the route it took us there was "scenic" I am not sure it was the fastest. We did get a lot of chances to play "Hey Cow!" - a game introduced to us by a stockman at The Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame in Longreach. When you are travelling past a paddock with cows in it, you wind down your window and yell out "Hey Cow!" and you get points based on how many cows stop eating and look up. Declan is a champion at that game. After winding through the hills we arrived at Gundagai as the sun was starting to go down. we decided to stay in a cabin for the night. It was already very cold and the owner of the caravan park said there had been a couple of -4 degree nights already this week  Reset Map Display on map surrounding Accommodation Attractions Print Directions | Hide Directions

Charleville

26 June

Ernie Adams with Emu in the Sky

We left Ilfracombe knowing there were things we wanted to do in Charleville but other campers had told us to stay at the Evening Star Caravan Park, 10kms before Charleville. The Evening Star is situated on a cattle station but the owners decided to build a caravan park 5 years ago to supplement their income in times of drought. Through foresight and planning they have ended up with a caravan park with large sites, good amenities and activities to keep the holiday makers entertained. Upon arriving we were told that tonight Ernie Adams a local aborigine was going play the didgeridoo and show us aboriginal artifacts. Ernie played the didgeridoo very well and, although his artifact show wasn't terribly good, he had painted some lovely paintings and he told us the story of what he had painted. We bought one which was entitled Emu in the Sky. After eating dinner we took a packet of marshmellows to the very large communal campfire which was lit in April and will be kept going until September. The fire was reignited by pushing some sticks into the coals that had been smouldering all day and then more wood placed on top. The result was a beautiful fire - perfect for roasting marshmellows - that threw out plenty of heat.

27 June
After a slow start to the day, it was Tom's birthday, we went in to Charleville to book a night-time star gaze at the observatory and to look around. We managed to do a bit of shopping before going to a local cafe for a special lunch for Thomas. This was another place that had been recommended to us and it did not disappoint. The information we have received from other travellers has been invaluable and it has pointed us in the right direction many times throughout this trip.
We thought we should see the Stiger Vortex Rain Cannons while in Charleville. In 1902, in the midst of a drought, these cannons were commissioned to break the drought. The idea was to produce a blast that would change the atmospheric pressure and produce rain. This did not work but 2 of the cannons have been kept and mounted in a park

Stiger Vortex Rain Cannons

Declan and I dropped Tom and Linda back to the campsite before grabbing the fishing rods and trying our luck at the Warrego River, the northernmost tributary of the Darling River. Once again we came up empty-handed but I spent most of my time releasing Declan's line from snags.
We picked up Linda and Thomas from the campsite and after rugging up headed back in to town to the Observatory. After a short talk we were herded out to the building in which the telescopes were housed. The roof rolled back and the three telescopes which were GPS enabled picked up the stars and planets our guide was informing us about. The staff were very knowledgeable and our time there was very interesting.
For dinner we decided to go to the local hotel and have a birthday dinner for Thomas who, for the second time that day, we managed to fill up. Gee, teenagers eat a lot.