Cobar to Broken Hill

12-7-08

I woke up at first light and turned on the tv to see if I could find out what the weather would be like. It has been HOT, cloudy and overcast most of the days and it looks like there is a chance of showers today. I was flipping through the channels when I came to a station where this guy was driving down the wrong side of the road (right side). It just hit me right away that he was not doing right when I finally figured out that it was some sort of travel log and they were in Arkansas going to a hillbilly music festival. Isn’t it amazing how soon I picked up on that being wrong side to drive on? I still have a hard time making right turns as ya have to make really wide right turns to be in the left side when you get there. A little honking helps me ‘know better’.

Not too far out of Dubbo I went by this wool broker/buyer and thought I better get a picture of that for Ralph McWilliams. Ralph was our sheep Shearer when we had that flock of Icelandic Sheep. This was only a small part of the operation Ralph, there were other wool houses.

I stopped at a little road side rest area and found this way nifty outhouse arrangement that collects rain off the little roof for hand washing and flushing.

I am not exactly sure how the plumbing worked but it looks like it was well thought out. It doesn’t freeze hard around here evidently.

The handle operates a pump that ‘flushes’ the thing. Handicap railing and lots of extra paper. I think the Kiwanis built this thing and take care of the rest stop.

This guy must want to be a big truck driver, eh? Check out those hair burners for extra lights. I was talking with a guy at the gas station yesterday about this huge light mounted on top of his little pickup. It must have been almost 12” in diameter and was mounted on the roof with a handle down inside that operated like a spotlight. He said it reached out 700 meters. That is almost a half mile I think. He said you had to be careful of wallabies, pigs and something else. It is really hard for me to understand some of these guys. It looked like it would singe the hair off anything very close. He said they make a bigger one. I will try to get a picture of one as I have seen several of them. These two little light that this rig has ought to do pretty good though. I cant imagine how bad it would be to hit a pig though. They are a lot like an anvil to hit, I bet.

I went through several little towns and they often have this sort of parking arrangement. People just back in at an angle to the parking area which seems to make a lot of sense. Lots easier to pull out when you leave as you can see well. They are sitting on the near side in the picture here.

This is a common type ‘rig’ that you see around here. I talked to one lady and asked about the snorkel thing. She said they use them for the turbos. I guess the diesel turbos need extra clean high velocity air. Looks good. The rack on the back of this one is unusual in that it is made of steel. A lot of them are made out of aluminum and quite a few have wire cages on the back. I have talked with several people and they often come up with the fact that if you are in an aboriginal area noting is safe. Every one dances around the race issue but sooner or later it comes out. Actually one guy I was talking with this morning made the comment that they all ought to be shot. Yikes! I haven’t gotten into the aboriginal area but I will be going through a town soon. They say just get gas and keep going.

I went by this little airport and had to turn around and take some photos of a few of the hundred or so gliders that were all over the place. I talked with a couple of the guys about what was going on. Evidenty there is a major sail plane race that is happening for the first time here. the guy in the picture with the bucket was draining water out of the wing. I had to ask why they had water in the wings. Was it for drinking? No, it seems that the extra weight makes them faster. Planes take them up and when everyone is airborn they come across the line and start a three legged race. It sure would be neat to have seen then fly but no one was doing it when I was there. One guy I talked with here with the two seater said he has been all over and has a website: www.mals.net I haven’t been to it yet and not sure if it is a good link or not, or even what it is about, but maybe sailing?

They were washing and waxing them, which makes them faster, much like motorcycles…..

I saw a few of them being towed like this.

The gagues in the cockpit. One guy asked me if I had ever flown. No I sure have not. He asked me how much I weighed. I told him a little over 100 kilo’s. He said that the limit was 105 kilo. Evidently you are too big to fit if over that weight. He patted his gut and said he couldn’t gain anymore….. me too!!

There were big fields but I couldn’t see any cotton growing but here is the gin. Maybe the drought got the cotton farmers?

Here are some huge piles of wheat that are piled outside. This is a huge wheat growing area here.

I thought this was an interesting way to unload those big trucks full of wheat. This is one of those Road Trains you hear about. More later….

This was one of the little trucks unloading into a hopper and that was blown up into those big piles. I sure have never seen this before. I didn’t go over to see exactly how the grain was blown up but maybe it was thrown some how in that stream. It didn’t take long to unload that truck. They had two ‘blowers’ working side by side. These dudes really put up the wheat. I am writing this now at a little campground in Cobar and it is raining slightly.

Here are some Road Trains waiting their turn to unload. That big guy in the lead is a 42 wheeler! Sort of makes an 18 wheeler look sort of wimpy eh?

Big flightless birds. They can sure run though.

I went through a little town that evidently used to be big on sheep. They had a nice wool museum but it was closed. It is Saturday but I think it is closed always. This was big copper producing country like Cobar is/was. When the price of copper crashed a couple of months ago a woman I was talking with said it just closed the towns down. I like how someone brought him a bottle of beer…

Maybe they will have to go back to raising sheep.

The road goes pretty much straight and there are trees off an on along the road. It is interesting to see how many different kinds of eucalyptus trees there are. I remember a couple of different kinds growing in California but here there lots of different kinds it seems. They have planted a lot of pine trees here and they do really well.

I would meet a car every five or ten minutes and a few cars passed me. Not much traffic on this road.

This is coming into Cobar and I think it was something to do with a copper mine ore loading chutes.

Across the street is this old head frame. I am not sure but I think they also mined gold here as well as copper that they are doing now. I think there is a huge hole in the ground like the one in Butte, Montana but I haven’t seen any sigh of that yet.

I did a re-patch on the leak on the big blue tank. So far it is holding. I am carrying the original tank ‘just in case’ and I might use it as extra gas storage, or I might just chuck it if the patch holds. Sure as hell if I do the plastic one will take a big dump and leave me walking.

There are quite a few of these types of raise top trailers here pulled by sedan cars as well as other little rigs.

Warning sign…..

I actually stopped here to take a picture of the difference I grazing usage between two farm across this fence. As you can see the guy on the right side grazes his place to the dirt. I think this is a mail box for one of the stations off the highway. Very cool little cook stove.

I just love these road trains. I have always wondered how that rear three axle thing worked. This is a 34 wheeler refrigerated transport.

The Talywalka River

It is a big flood plain.

Finally I am out of those dang trees. Wonderful to be out where I can see distance again. I am liking this a lot.

I stopped in the little town that was supposed to be so bad. The people at the store/gas station were really nice. The town is a little run down but I thought it was rather nice.

I went across the street and got an icream bar which I was eating outside when I noticed this guy looking at my bike. He finally came over and said that I must have some Suzuki parts on my bike. Ahh, yes, the first person to mistake the Oz dog for a BMW. He turned out to be a really nice guy that is a school teacher at the local elementary/high school. We talked quite a while and found out that he plays music. He and some locals set up in a local shed a while back and played music for the town. I told him about the music night at Joe’s book store and how much enjoyment it was for many of us. I asked if he had ever eaten kangaroo and he said it was very good. His uncles butcher them and grind them up and mix with vegetables and bar b que it. He said he ate a lot of it as it was cheap. When I said my name was Rex, he said his dad was named Rex. His name is Mick and he wouldn’t mind having a motorcycle and traveling around some.

Not sure if they do half time zones or what?

A pair of emus that were trying to get through the fence. There are hundred of miles of that high tensile wire fences as I ride along on both sides of the road. This is big goat and sheep country and they have ways of getting through the fences and getting out on the road right of way for something good to eat, as well as get run over. I have to watch carefully for them as I sure don’t want to hit one. The sheep have been on this red dirt for so long they take up that color as do some of the white goats.

Coming into Broken Hill

I thought this was interesting so went back for a closer look.

A sticker in the corner….

Wood carving covered in copper sheet pieces. Notice the price of petrol? I paid $135.9 back at the last stop.

I asked the girl at a info booth what kind of mining they did here. She said it was gold, silver and lead…. Humm, don’t breathe the dust.

I took a little walk around town and think I will have to stay over for a day or two. I am in a nice hostel and it looks like a very good museum to visit. I have been sitting with three girls from Austria and they said I need to go to Silverton which is 25 klm from here. it is where the film Mad Max was shot. There is a really good chocolate factory too they said, but then girls would like a chocolate factory.