Head off towards Cobar for the night, another clear sunny day. Typically we travel around 300klm per day, with a stop for lunch in an outback town or if not a rest area (Lay-by)which there are many along the way.
Narromine
Population 3500, also has lakes and wetlands and plenty of wildlife. It also has an aviation history as there was a RAAF Base here during the war. It was used as an Aircraft Fuel Depot. It was fuel for the RAAF and US Army Air Forces.
The Macquarie River runs through the town. The traditional name is Wambuul, meaning winding river.
It is a major growing region for Cotton as well as wheat, grain and beans.
In the heart of Bogan Country. One of the states most productive agricultural areas for wool, cattle and cropping.
Nyngan
The Bogan Shire Council
Fishing obviously popular here along with Rusty his dog. 
Stopped for lunch, sitting outside in glorious sunshine and no breeze. Who said it doesn’t rain in the outback. High water mark in 1990 in the cafe.
Cobb & Co, began operating in Australia in 1851. At its peak Cobb & Co operated a network of over 40,000 klm a week and 6000 of its 30,000 horses were harnessed every day. Nyngan was part of this network. It ceased in 1888, wonder why it was phased out?
Cobar
From the 1870’s mining has been the predominant activity in Cobar, when Copper was discovered. In those days it was ‘hammer and tap,’ it was exhaustive work as the sulphide ores are hard, but this was essential to place the explosives in. Up until 2000 over 150 lives had been lost in the mine.
Mining towns have a different rythm to other rural towns and how they function. Campbell, Hartman and Gibb engaged two Indigenous men to guide them between some permanent watering places between Bourke and the Lachlan River. In outback Australia unless you have this knowledge you will not survive in this harsh environment. As they stopped by the Kubbur waterhole they noticed the green and blue staining on the rocks. On there return some migrants from Cornwall confirmed that the rock contained copper. After smelting they confirmed this as copper. After returning to Bourke in 1871, they purchased some land formed the Cobar Copper Mining Co. Shares were eagerly sought after at 15 pounds per share. Incredible! By the end of the year they were 80 pounds ea!!! Wow. It aslo has goldfields, zinc, silver & lead.
Like all mining there is a boom and bust depending on global demand and pricing. In 1919 90% of the town was out of work in one day as the mine closed. Closures occurred in 1933, 1952. Today it is fairly stable.
The Great Western Hotel
- A night around the camp fire
- Copper mine
- Picked up my new tyres for the van at 3 ton each
