Newcastle to the Flinders Ranges

Chris and I left Newcastle on Thursday 15^th March and stopped overnight at Jerrys Plains – just west of Singleton. Our original plan was to go via Wagga Wagga and the Riverina but due to all the flooding around that area we decided to head west to South Australia through Dubbo, Cobar, Wilcannia and Broken Hill.

From Jerrys Plains we travelled to Dubbo, then onto Nevertire where we stayed overnight. Next day travelled to Cobar for a few delightful days where we camped at the beautiful "Newey Reservoir'.

I love Cobar - it was home to my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter for a number of years. It feels like home to me as I spent many wonderful days over the years visiting the family. Entering the town of Cobar from the east you encounter the Great Cobar Heritage Centre – built in 1910 as the administration building for the Great Cobar Copper Mine. This beautiful building now houses the town's Heritage Museum, focuses on mining, agriculture, Aboriginal history and Nursing in the outback. The Cobar golf course was very inviting, so green from all the rain, so we enjoyed a game on the Sunday.

Monday, we left Cobar and travelled through Wilcannia and onto Broken Hill. We didn't spend too much time in Broken Hill as we had been there before and had done all the tourist attractions. We stayed overnight at a free camp just before the South Australian border. Next day crossed the NSW/SA border and on to Peterborough.

Peterborough (once Petersburg), in the Southern Flinders Ranges was founded in 1876. Later during WW1 anti German hysteria had the town renamed Peterborough. In the early days of this settlement because of the mining boom, the railway quickly became the lifeblood of the town. Standardisation of the rail gauge in the 1970's made Peterborough one of the few places worldwide to have three rail line gauges and today the town exhibits a Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre. In front of the Visitor's Information Centre, which is in a modified 1917 First Class sleeper carriage from the former East West express line, sits a statue of 'Bob the Railway Dog'. This delightful little rogue rode the trains of South Australia hopping from train to train at will. It is rumoured that Bob even had a trip to Sydney and back! After an extensive tour of the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre, we travelled to Hawker – a quaint town in the Central Flinders Ranges.

Today, Friday 23^rd March 2012, we visited Wilpena Pound and enjoyed exploring The Flinders Ranges. After the rains over the last few months the scenery is magnificent. Green rolling hills and the ranges look spectacular – hard to imagine how they would look in the dry, drought times.

Tomorrow we have booked a flight with The Bush Pilots, from Hawker across Wilpena Pound, The Flinders Range and out over Lake Eyre........will post this experience on the next blog.