We set off from Bourke , we had stayed the night at Kidmans camp , which was a lovely spot and headed off south to start the Datling River run. For the first few hours we didn’t see any river as our first destination was TooraleHomestead The drive in was pretty good , lots of dust and a little bit of corrigation but really quite good We seen some wildlife including an eagle Bit blurry as it was taken through the windscreen of the car , Some Emu’s and kangaroos The homestead itself is closed to the public except during school holidays ,so we didn’t get to go in but , we knew before we arrived that was the case and I was keen to see it anyway. Sir Samuel McCaughey in partnership with his Brother John and cousin purchased Toorale, Nocoleche and Dunlop station. Acquiring 800 000 acres of land and 130 000 sheep and 80 horses. Eventually Samuel bought his brother and cousin out. He built the homestead in 1896 as a wedding gift to his niece. The golden years for the homestead were betw
Brewarrina, a short 8 hr drive northwest of Newcastle Was our home for two nights Located on the banks of the Barwon river , Brewarrina , home of the aboriginal fish traps is a lovely little town, founded in 1863. Brewarrina was once the highest point for paddle steamers travelling up the Darling river. The Brewarrina Barwon bridge was built in 1889 and was designed so the centre could lift allowing the paddle steamers to pass underneath. Originally four of these bridges existed along the Darling ,only two now survive. We were very fortunate to see the Barwon river full However it did impead our view of the aboriginal fish traps, see above I borrowed the image below from the guardian so you can better see how the fish traps are designed. We were extremely fortunate to undergo a tour with a local , whom provided us with an understanding of how the traps worked It is believed that the fish traps date back over 30000 years and were a site of gathering and celebration for 8 abori