Cobar 24 April 2006

Had a leisurely start and headed west along the Barrier Hwy. Stopped at Hermidale for fuel. This is a small town of about 30 people with a combined general store, pub, service station and post office. They have a one teacher school that really surprised us. Peter asked about free camping and they were very happy to offer this to any campers. The road to Cobar was long and straight, with an occasional bend to keep you awake. The country-side is getting drier the further west we go and the soil is getting redder. Finally got to Cobar, a town that is kept alive by the gold and copper mines. The landscape is interesting with the old open cut mine right in town as a back drop. Had a look at an open-cut gold mine from a viewing platform looking right down to the bottom where the miners now go underground and have now reached over 1 km below. Watched a truck work its way down the winding sides of the open cut and felt a bit phobic as he disappeared in the tunnel entrance. Eerily, the tragedy in Tasmania’s mine happened that night. Camped on the outskirts of Cobar at the site of an old mining area. Had a great time, exploring the area and collecting interesting artefacts. It was extremely quiet out there and the colours of the evening sky wonderful.