The Black Stump Hotel was closed………Bugger!

Our first today was

GOOLGOWIE

Situated at the crossroads of The Kidman Way & Mid-Western Highway this village was settled in 1925 because of the railway line. For many years this area has been a wheat farming and grazing area but in the last decade there has been diversification into walnuts, grapes, lettuce and cattle feedlots. All thanks to the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme.

MERRIWAGGA

Merriwagga had to be a compulsory stop. Why? Well last year I took Cheryl to Blackall which is home to “the Black Stump” and as any Australian will tell you “if you are not in Blackall …. You must be beyond the black stump!!!!  Merriwagga has the “Black Stump Hotel” so…………. any excuse for a drink…my shout Chezza. In actual fact the name for the hotel came from an unfortunate accident when a bullocky’s wife was burnt to death. When people expressed their sympathy, the bullocky simply said “when I returned my wife was dead, she looked just like a black stump!”

 

Next we travelled to

HILLSTON

Offering old-world charm and a relaxed country town atmosphere, Hillston sits on the northern edge of the Griffith area, close to the border of country & outback NSW. It’s located on the banks of the Lachlan River, the only river in NSW with wetlands along its entire length. This makes it a great area for bird-watching. Banjo Paterson also mentions the river in his poem Clancy of the Overflow. We had lunch at the bakery.

The town borders Hillston State Forest and is 70 km from the World Heritage-listed Willandra Lakes region.

Water from a large artesian basin irrigates many food crops in Hillston, including oranges, cherries, mangoes and olives.

MOUNT HOPE was next.

The town was once a busy copper mining town in the 1890-1920s. Much of the township was destroyed in a major bushfire in the 1950s. The only visible business open in the village is the Royal Hotel, commonly known as the “Mount Hope Pub”.

COBAR was another 100 plus kilometres on

Another 160 km driving has brought us to Cobar.

Cobar is a flourishing town built around the thriving mining and pastoral industries. Mining commenced here in the 1870s, and today, the town is an important source of copper, lead, silver, zinc and gold. It is a bustling & prosperous town with a mixture of old & modern buildings. We are here for 3 nights.