BACK O’ BOURKE 257 ( p265 ) Bourke Mungo Mungo Park Mungo National Cliffs White White Cliffs White Menindee Lakes on the magnificent Darling on the magnificent Darling Silverton

Broken Hill Broken Hill Daydream Mine Daydream Menindee Lakes Lakes Menindee 1895-replica paddle-wheeler 1895-replica ( p262 ) ( p269 ) Nyngan ( p273 ) ( p271 ) River at Bourke ( p259 ) p259 at Bourke River ( ( p268 ) at Broken Hill p268 ( ( p272 ) looking for a good fishing spot p272 ( Bogan River at Bogan River Sculpture Symposium Sculpture Silverton National Park ously into the rough-hewn steps, at ously into the rough-hewn steps,

baby pelicans from an Photograph at records See for yourself the extraordinary plains, dunes and archaeological colour bathing in the Wake to see birds of every with your purchase of opals under your pillow, at Sleep underground, of the Slip softly through the water at historic on a camel trek Get up and out there nerv- your feet down a mine shaft, digging Squeeze as the sun sets on the deeply moved Feel

„ „ „ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS „

Although the country is flat to the horizon with small clumps of saltbush all over, there there small clumps of saltbush all over, Although the country is flat to the horizon with From November to February the heat is intense – by 10am the Celsius landmark of 40°C is landmark of 40°C the Celsius – by 10am the heat is intense to February From November A startlingly both with plants and animals empty land, the is sparsely populated

watch – and to watch out for! are plenty of birds, mobs of emus, cattle, feral goats and kangaroos of emus, cattle, feral plenty of birds, mobs along the roadside to are them slick to swish you out of control. They’re corrugated dust, some with a high central hump, and a few drops of rain polishes some with a high central hump, and a few dust, corrugated They’re a 2WD. But seek local advice if you want to venture onto unsealed , even in a 4WD. roads, even onto unsealed venture a 2WD. But seek local advice if you want to There’s plenty to see and do, and you can get into the towns and most national parks in plenty to see and do, and you can get into There’s passed. That leaves another 10 hours of daylight for the current record, 51.7°C, to be broken. record, of daylight for the current another 10 hours leaves passed. That special – larger than life, yet calm and caring. You won’t hear a car horn in these towns. You won’t hear a car horn in yet calm and caring. than life, special – larger and with people. You need to be rather special to live out here. So the people you meet are people you meet are So the out here. be rather special to live You need to and with people. of stunning natural environments and vastly significant Aboriginal heritage. and vastly significant Aboriginal of stunning natural environments it is home to some of the state’s most interesting national parks; a wondrous combination national parks; a wondrous most interesting state’s it is home to some of the produces much of ’ wealth, particularlyproduces much of New from the mines of Broken Hill, and of the most interesting areas in the state, and much more diverse than it first appears. It it first appears. than diverse much more and in the state, areas of the most interesting spacious as you could imagine, rough and rugged, and oh so dry. Yet this dry country is one this dry country rugged, and oh so dry. Yet rough and spacious as you could imagine, Vast sunburnt plains, crimson sunsets and empty horizons – far west NSW is every bit as is every horizons – far west NSW sunsets and empty sunburnt plains, crimson Vast Back o’ Bourke o’ Bourke Back © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © ὈὈ

BACK O’ BOURKE tred ontheBrewarrina of Fisheries – aseries The Ngemba peoplelived ina large area cen- History remoteness attractive. thespaceisexhilarating,andvery Besides, ful river withitsriver gumsandwater birds. historic andquaint,sprawledalong its beauti- brown andalluring.Bourke isgorgeous, itself aresettlements few andthecountry isflat, Bourke, green pastorallandsstopabruptly, ontheedgesits right of theoutback.Beyond this easy-going townontheDarlingRiver sion ‘backof Bourke’, thatisanythingremote, forAustraliansintheexpres- Immortalised % 258

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