Queensland Outback Tour - Bourke - Museums & Boat Trips

A few spots of rain during the night only just settled the dust and gave the car that driving through

dust for months look.

North Bourke Bridge

After breakfast - a leisurely breakfast at that - we traveled back into Bourke. Kidman's Camp is about 8kms north of the Bourke Post office, across the North Bourke Bridge and the two bridges which span the Polygonum Swamp and Polygonum Billabong. Both looked dry and dusty today.

The North Bourke Bridge is a cement affair which has spanned the Darling River in two wide lanes since 1997. It replaced a 114 year old predecessor made of local timbers and iron transported from England. It was made at the height of the river trade and has a central section which once lifted to allow river traffic to pass through in times of high river volumes. It was one of only two lift bridges still in existence in NSW until the one at Balranald was closed in 1973 and subsequently demolished. Closed now but open for foot traffic from the eastern side, the curved western approach is no longer safe to traverse. Whilst the eastern end has a straight approach, the western end bends in a gradual arc. The reason is that the roadway used to end in a T-intersection in front of the North Bourke Inn but the increasing use of bullock teams in the late 1880's made it impossible to make the right angle turn at the intersection, so the curved approach was added.

Its a beautiful old structure.

Our morning destination was the Back O Bourke Exhibition Centre, a series of buildings made from iconic curved corrugated iron - colourbond these days - with excellent wall and audio visual displays of the history of Bourke and its characters. Among the famous who lived here at times were Henry Lawson, who was sent by his Sydney editor to "dry out" and humped a swag for 300kms soon after getting here with his fellow writer Jim Gordon (who often wrote as Jim Graham). Lawson returned in threadbare clothes and with no soles on his shoes and determined to never see a swag again. He then became an advocate and organiser for the local shearers and instigated strikes.

Nancy Bird Walton, probably Australia's most famous aviatrix, after being taught to fly by Kingsford-Smith, came to Bourke to pilot a Gypsy Moth for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Edward Dickens acted in the role of a supervisor of lands and later served for six years as the local member in the Parliament of NSW. Dickens? Does that name sound familiar. He was Charles Dickens favourite son.

Fred Hollows based himself here to administer eye surgery to aboriginal people and changed many lives. At his request, he was buried in the local cemetery.

Its a great spot and they offer a two day pass to allow plenty of time for it all to sink in.

Before lunch we managed to squeeze in a visit to the excellent Back O Bourke Gallery of local artist Jenny Greentree. She creates the most amazing landscapes, which are sensitive to the local indigenous customs and totems, from the brilliant application of pastels. The business is fully self-sufficient, framing their own works. Outstanding reproductions of original work are also for sale using a process which she outsources to a photographer in Brisbane. I couldn't tell the original from the reproduction. Artworks are offered framed and unframed and are remarkably well priced for such high quality. You'll find the gallery on the Mitchell Highway in North Bourke, just after the North Bourke Bridge.

The afternoon was a pleasant cruise along the Darling, from our digs at Kidman's Camp, down stream towards Bourke. To go all the way to the Bourke Wharf would take an hour, so our vessel, the Jandra, only goes half way. Its long enough to see the North Bourke Bridge from yet another perspective, see some water birds and hear an extensive description of Bourke and especially the use of craft on the Darling over the years. It was a very pleasant hour looking at the steep sided banks of perhaps Australia's greatest river and see the huge River Red Gums clinging to whatever purchase they could hold in order to keep their roots in the water.

Click to view today's photos

It was remarkable that both the Exhibition Centre and the paddle boat - not steamer because a diesel is at her heart - are run by the local council.

It was back to Little Birdie for another excellent coffee to round out the day.

Queensland Outback Tour - Burren Junction to Bourke

326kms: Kamilaroi Highway & B76 via Walget & Brewarrina

Nature entertained us at the Burren Junction Bore Baths: a hot soak in the baths; a warm shower; a spectacular sunset in the way only the western plains can arrange; the rise of a fat, orange moon in the evening; and a sunrise as an alarm clock. Its funny how you forget the touring life. Parking the van in one spot for two weeks is nowhere near the same.

It was a comfortable drive to Bourke. Since Narrabri, the road has been mostly straight and mostly flat and the fuel returns have provided ample evidence. Normally we average 12.7km/L towing but yesterday 11.8 was bettered by 11.4 today. We saw one landform which rose more than two metres in the entire drive.

Roadkill exaggerates the further west you go but the variety increases. Big Red kangaroos started to appear - sleeping as Sue insists - frozen as if toppled over from a stationary standing position. Pigs, goats and the occasional emu are new items on the menu, although emus seem less inclined to be finalised.

We stopped at Walgett for fuel, to be served by a young Welshman. A lot of the touring youth of he British Isles can be found in the service industry in far flung places but I'll admit, a Welshman in Walgett even caught me on the hop. He was friendly but fairly useless but somehow, it never seems to matter much. We had a nice chat about fuel octanes, discovered little but left happy.

Further down the track at Brewarrina, we had a cuppa at the boat ramp under the main road bridge which crosses the Barwon River on the northern side of the town. Autumn sunshine, a steep-banked inland river and masses of redgums is a scene that will always bring a certain peace while you strain your mug of tea through a muesli bar. We lingered a little longer but its hard not to. Cares seem a long way from you as you listen to the branches dance on the tune of a slight breeze and watch the ducks ply their casual trade on the river.

As a result, the final push to Bourke meant we wouldn't get the nose bags on until a tad after our normal lunch time. Our destination, Kidman's Camp, is in North Bourke in a location which is somewhat under described and certainly under sign posted. In fact, you have basically left the place when you find it. That said, the rest is outstanding.  Grassy sights, lots of trees and shrub as wind breaks and right beside the Darling River. First rate amenities for "Cowgirls & Cowboys". We were greeted as though we were old friends the hosts were just dying to see.

In the afternoon we went into town an naturally Sue found the best coffee, right beside the famous Bourke Wharf and the Crossing Engine. More of those in a later report. The coffee was outstanding and we will no doubt have cause to be in the vicinity again in the next few days.

In the evening, we attended Poetry on a Plate, an institution for Kidman's and indeed Bourke. A

Click for today's photos

hundred or so sat around a fire of gidgee coals and ate heartily from genuine campfire food (cooked in crock pots) and listened to our host for the night, Frank Povah, who told tales of old and of his own colourful family history. He performed little known bush songs and some great bush poetry, although admitted he had to "tone it down" for the primary school group present who had bused in from the Hunter Valley. It was two hours of fun and connection to a mystic past of white fellas that has gone a little out of fashion in our justified haste to redress the imbalance in relationships with the first peoples.

Sleep well on beef casserole and a tipple of red.