Bourke NSW May 30, 2016

May 30, 2016 Bourke NSW

A 'transport' day today as we move further out to Bourke, a small run of a mere 475km, the last 200 of which is dead straight.

Personally, I couldn't see any difference, apart from the surrounding landscape, of this road between Nyngan and Bourke and the much vaunted 'longest straight road in Australia', between Balladonia and Caiguna on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. That little strip is only 146km long before a bend looms into view.

Bourke finally hove into view and as, in itself, it has little attraction, we drove straight through and onto 'Northy' as they have labelled North Bourke, which is where Kidman's Camp is located. We have been here before and this is a nice place, lots of green grass in the middle of the dessert, and you pick your own site. Why am I surprised that the place, while not jam-packed, is getting to its capacity of some 300 guests, mostly in vans.

Judy 'at home', Kidmans Camp, Bourke NSW

This is how you look and feel after 6 hours in the saddle, roaring across the wide-open spaces of the outback. Kidman Camp, Bourke NSW

Black Cockatoos. Bourke NSW

The only attraction is to wander down to the banks of the might Darling and watch the replica Paddle Vessel Jandra return to its moorings at the end of its twice-daily cruise.

Modern day PV Jandra, a replica of an 1869 paddle boat. Darling River Bourke, NSW

Just looking at the slow-moving mud puddle that is the Darling River, it's hard to believe that in the late 19th century, others like it used the Darling as a highway from Mildura to Brewarrina (north of Bourke) carting wool and wheat to market.

The most endearing relic of the era is the 1883 moveable platform bridge, the oldest of its type in Australia. Just like the river, it's day has passed and now we fly over the river on the modern concrete construction high above any recorded flood levels.

1883 bridge over the Darling River, North Bourke, NSW