A few days rest so I’m back tracking a little to catch up.
There are only so many roads in and out of Bourke and I reckon we’ve travelled just about all of them - those we can take our rig, goes without saying! A week ago on our long, slow homeward journey, we travelling one more - The Dowling Track linking Quilpie and Bourke through the ‘Plains of Promise’. We started the track from Yowah so we joined the historic track part way at Hungerford on the NSW-Qld border - another gate to open and close along the dog fence!
The track was named after explorer and pastoralist, Vincent Dowling who, with other early pioneers, explored this area looking for a new life and new opportunities. Pretty dry country at the moment, but they saw opportunities and a number of stations were established. Any promises the area might hold depends critically on when you’re there!
This seemingly harsh arid area attracted others such as author Henry Lawson who walked from Bourke to Hungerford and back in the sizzling summer heat looking for work in the 1890s. Lawson, who seemed to be an ‘unhappy’ harried wanderer, lived in Bourke for a time and subsequently wrote, “if you know Bourke, you know Australia.” Interesting observation, but indeed he could be right. Perseverance sort of sums it up! There’s a river ‘running’ through it so the area is productive - some of the time.
And then we were heading further south ....
You might think that all these red roads are the same. Not so! The vegetation varies as does the colour of the dirt or sand - and some are less rough than others!!!!
The border gate between Qld and NSW at Hungerford. Note there’s an airport here - most outback places have an airport or runway or at the very least a part of the road is marked as a landing strip. Population at Hungerford is 20 odd. Nice neat little place.
Approaching Brindingabba Creek. You hold your breath as you approach ’river’ crossings hoping that there will be water. This one .....
The poor old Brindingabba Creek was rather a sad sight.
The pub at Fords Bridge. Population less than 10, some day 4. I guess it depends on where you draw city limits!
Fords Bridge is on the Warrego River.
Great! some water......
But only in occasional puddles
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