Nyngan, Cobar and Broken Hill

We stayed at the Nyngan Riverside Caravan Park which is uniquely located on the Bogan River, it was an easy walk to town, a haven for skiers, fishermen, birdwatchers and people just looking for a relaxing time on the banks of the Bogan!  It was a large park divided into 2 parts - 1 part was near the river and the other part was further up.

At Cobar we experienced one of the hottest days so far on our trip it got to 45 degrees and the wind was really warm.  Not a lot to see here but the locals were friendly.

We then went to Broken Hill and stayed for 7 days.  The weather was a little cooler thankfully. Broken Hill is an isolated mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales. The world's largest mining company, BHP Billtion has roots in the town.  We enjoyed our time in Broken Hill and it was a great walk into town from the Caravan Park. 

We went to a restaurant on the Lode line called Broken Earth - it was great for the sunset and the food. 

We have been to Broken Hill before and since then there has been a new tourist site called the The Living Desert and Sculptures.  It is nestled amongst the Barrier Ranges and is located 9km from the City of Broken Hill. It is a unique 2400ha reserve which commenced in 1992. The topography, scenery and views within the reserve are breathtaking and are captured throughout the numerous walking trails. These sculptures are all hand done and no power tools were used at all.

Gilgandra, Coonamble and Moree

Gilgandra is a smallish country town of 3000 people on the Castlereagh River in NSW's central west. It is situated at the junction of the Newell, Oxley and Castlereagh Highways, between Dubbo and Coonabarabran, 476 km north-west of Sydney and 280 m above sea-level.  Known as the "Town of Windmills", Gilgandra once had a skyline dotted with windmills. As there was no reticulated town water supply until 1966, most residents supplied their own water needs from individual windmills, drawing water from the sub-artesian basin.
Gilgandra is a service centre to a mixed farming area focused principally on cropping, sheep and cattle, although pigs, poultry, aquaculture, ostriches, emus, deer, olives, buffaloes and a eucalypt plantation all contribute to the local economy. 

Coonamble is a  town about 50 km E of Quambone and 30 km E by N of Narraway State Forest. It is on the Castlereagh Hwy on the Western Plains, 518 km NW of Sydney. It unfortunately is typical of  a lot of remote towns because there are a lot of shops vacant - and in Coonamble the shops close at 4 pm.

 

 Moree  is situated in northwest New South Wales 640 kilometers from Sydney and 480 kilometers from Brisbane. Moree has an enthusiastic supportive friendly caring community with a great lifestyle and many great sporting opportunities.  It is a larger country town with lots of gardens and parks. It is also renowned for its natural spas direct from the Artesian basin.  There are 2 spas one at a constant 41 degrees C and the cooler pool at 38 degrees C.

Warren is a very typical and quiet rural town on the Macquarie River with a population of about 2200 people. It is located on the Oxley Highway, 545 km north-west of Sydney, 80 km west of Gilgandra and 197 metres above sea-level.
The area is dominated by sheep and cotton. In fact the shire council refers to itself as the 'Wool and Cotton Capital'. Merino sheep have long been bred locally and there is an Auscott Cotton Gin just out of town. Other local produce includes wheat, oats, sorghum and maize.  The caravan where we stayed had its own lawn mower sheep - his name is Barney.







 

Cassilis to Dunedoo

Yesterday we were in Cassilis about 250 kilometres from Newcastle which is about 300 kilometres from Sydney.  We found ourselves a little rest area near the local bowling club.  It was a very basic park but the scenery was just beautiful

Today we have moved to Dunedoo which is 90 kilometres North of Mudgee and 61 kilometres west of Dubbo in Central New South Wales. Dunedoo is set amongst the rolling hills and valleys striding the Talbragar River. A progressive country town, Dunedoo is the southern gateway to the Warrumbungles and is located at the junction of the Golden and Castlereagh Highways.

2011

Hi and finally we are back!  Had a great Christmas and New Year.  Followed Oprah's advice and went to Lindeman Island for a week. What a great place to holiday!!  Unfortunately 3 days after we left the cyclone went through and did some damage.  The Island was evacuated so we feel blessed that we had great weather.

The resort was all inclusive so we didn't need any money the entire time we were there on the island.  The children had all day drinks and snacks including ice-cream.  The food was great with a different theme each night.  Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner - what more could you want?

There was a swim up bar so you could enjoy your drinks by the pool