Burracoppin 20 January 2007

We are following the Golden Pipeline which highlights lots of little towns from the gold rush era. Some of these towns reflect their history in the main streets with the remaining shop fronts but the overall feel is that they are on the decline. Many have a very strong civic pride.
There are many monolithic rocks and some are very interesting. We explored and climbed all over Merredin Peak Rock Dam near the town of Merredin. This was another feat that astounded us. In the late 1800’s, before the water pipeline, the early settlers created a big dam by collecting all the run-off from a series of monoliths with rock walls all around the base and channelling it in rock drains to the dam. It was very hot climbing around the rock and the stories of how the horses carried all the rock of the monoliths to the bases with canvas on their hooves to prevent slipping were in our minds.
We stopped at Burracoppin - a tiny village with only a pub and no shops. We stayed in the park opposite the pub and went for a drink through the main door, but were directed around the back to a tin lean-to, which has been the temporary (9 years) pub while they fix up the main bar! This lean-to was the earliest pub that was transported from another town with its original big cool room. There were only a few locals there but enough for us to enjoy the chatter and watch them cook up yabbies on a fire on the dirt floor! Saw the comet again!