Galleries, engines and coffee in Bourke

This morning we packed up our riverside camp after making pan-toasted sandwiches for breakfast. We stopped at the Back O Bourke Gallery where artist Jenny displays her stunning pastel paintings of locally inspired scenery. We then went to the wharf district to enjoy a coffee in the pretty garden cafe and see the big, old restored oil fired twin cylinder Crossley engine in operation.

After this Gadi tried to get our inverter working, with no luck (we need it to charge his shaver and to operate our washing machine and smoothie maker). He found a Betta Living Store in town but they didn’t have any inverters and neither did any other shops in town.

Eventually we left and drove just under 100km east to Brewarrina along the Kamilaroi Highway. We stopped to eat lunch next to the Barwon River where the ancient fish traps are. History tells us that these could well be the oldest man made structure in the world (approx 40,000 years old).

After lunch we headed to the Indigenous museum to try to tee up a guided history tour, which we will come back for tomorrow morning. In order to stay close to town we picked out a nearby camp spot along a low-lying creek complete with picnic table and shelter. We enjoyed another afternoon in the warm sun with nibbles washed down by whiskey and soda - very mellow! Gadi tried to get the TV working but there is limited Telstra phone reception and zero TV reception.

Dinner of leftovers (chicken soup and pasta) and we were all (Cadbury too) struggling to stay awake.

Favourite part of the day: a good day all round today, but I would have to say chilling with a glass of something and eating nibblies never becomes mundane - especially when it’s in ever changing natural surroundings!Read more