Fri, 21st Nov, 2025 Camp spot by Darling River, Louth to Bush camp by Darling River in Fishing Reserve, Bourke, NSW ( Darling River Run - Bourke) (Jodie's birthday)

Min of 21 degrees, clear sky and light breeze. Sent Jodie a happy birthday message. It will be great to see them at Christmas and get to meet little Arthur.

Our next section of the Darling River Run.

Packed up and headed over the bridge into Louth (est 1859). Went for a wander and read all the history info. Metal signs hard to read in the sunshine and harder to photograph when trees cast the shadows. The Darling River Run sign needs redoing too.

Lots of ‘happy families’ about (Apostlebirds).

Across to the Inn - another one on the Pub Route.

Interesting golf trip.

Steve noticed the ‘removeable’ cabin in the little campground beside the pub and asked the lady about it. They are $32,000 for the single room one with patio that folds out and $62,000 for the other which as a separate bedroom. They don’t need Council approval as they are removeable and when the river floods they can be moved out of the flood waters. She said she would buy two singles and placed the verandahs facing so you have a big entertaining area between a ‘bedroom’ side and ‘kitchen, lounge’ side. Great retirement idea for us when we eventually stop wandering.

Across the road is the tennis courts and further along the old Post Office - now a residence. Rather grand compared to the other homes.

Back across the bridge and the Darling River to continue northward towards Bourke. Onto Toorale Road.

A long low hill on our left then another one - otherwise it is flat.

An emu raced along the fence line near the entrance to Towala Station.

Into Toorale National Park and State Conservation Area. A mob of roos in the grass were relaxed and watching us as we read the info. The Warrego River flows into the Darling River near here.

So many red kangaroos here and a few who can’t decided which way they want to go. Steve doesn’t want to hit the other half of the Coat of Arms so we are going slowly.

Continued on heading to another long low hill - Mt Talowa (111m).

Up to the lookout - more info.

Nice view from here so we didn’t bother climbing to the top. Certainly warming up a tad!

Back down and continued on - view from the other side as we descend back to the flat (87m elevation).

Checked out the sign for Warrego Wetlands but we skipped the drive.

Across the Warrego River at Dicks Dam. Spotted Daddy emu with 3 checks walk across. Hawks are flying and a willy wagtail zoomed by.

Further along another view - an Ibis.

Along to the turn off to the old homestead. There is buildings for park officials further over. We went into the carpark near the old homestead. Had a cuppa in the car park then went wandering. Amazing to see how our pioneers lived - the modern population certainly wouldn’t be able to survive if they had to go back to that way of life. You can’t go into the building any more but the displays outside are great.

Some interesting items in the shed.

A big stump.

I can’t see the Warrego River as such but there is lots of lush green grass just on the other side of the sheds.

Big old tree and yard.

Peered in the back of the stables.

Back to the truck - forgot about the cemetery walk but decided we didn’t need to do that one.

Out to the entrance. I had missed the old plough when we turned in. View across to a long hill in the distance but I can’t find what its name is.

Continued on then turned off to have lunch by the Darling River. Not many trees but each one has a family of roos resting in the shade.

Through a cluster of trees on a red soil ridge then onto the grey dirt plains again.

More emus racing to get in front of us.

Reached a big high fence at Booka Station Boundary with lots of emus and a big red roo on the other side trying to find a way through. Not sure why they have such a high fence.

Turned away from the fence and headed to the river. There is a campground here but we continued on first to the Many Big Rocks Picnic Area. The picnic tables are away from the car park. The water is flowing fast.

My thongs and sandshoes’ soles are too soft for these nasty burrs so I will have to dig out my hard reef sandals instead.

Decided to go back to the camp ground for lunch. A roo made a quick dash across the road but we had plenty of room. I am always trying to get one in mid-jump.

There is someone camped here at one end but no one has come out so we didn’t disturb them.

Found a picnic table and made lunch. It is hot but there is a lovely breeze so it is pleasant in the shade.

Lovely riverboat cutout. It was better from the other side so I had the blue sky in the background.

Looking up then downstream to the Big Rocks area and the log I took a photo of before.

Back out to Toorale Road then out of the National Park. The high fence appears again and goes off to the right.

Into red soil country again as we are away from the river. More trees and shrubs too. Good wide road so plenty of room to see any wildlife.

Haven’t seen anymore emus or roos for a while.

Met our first vehicle for today.

Across a grid at the other end of the high fence.

Onto bitumen with lines for a bit then gravel again which was corrugated. Back to the bitumen then the last section we are back on rough gravel.

Onto Bourke-Milparinka Road (Wanaaring Road) to head east for 32km to Bourke. This is bitumen but doesn’t have any lines!

Bits of cotton lining the roadside. Across a wide irrigation channel - for the cotton.

Then big dirt walls around a dam (Pera Bore?) that the channels come from.

Turned right onto Hungerford Road then it met the Mitchell Highway at North Bourke. Pulled up for a photo below the mural opposite the Northy Hotel (built 1893, rebuilt in 2022).

We had a photo under the mural in 2003 with our boys but I think this was in another part of town as there isn’t a water tank here.

Across the Darling River on the new bridge - old one is upstream. It is Australia’s oldest moveable span bridge. It was opened on the 4^th May 1883. It was modified in 1895 and in 1903 by engineers.

Continued along then turned into the Back O’Bourke Centre.

The staff were more interested in watching the game show on the big TV so not very helpful so we didn’t bother with paying for the exhibitions there. I bought a magnet showing the Darling River.

Went outside and wandered about checking out the various sculptures and information.

Hard to read the info about the Tumbling Tommy plough and the station with a bore. More shiny plaques about our pioneers and the longest fence.

Through town to the old Port of Bourke site with some big fig trees.

In a cage at the back of the building is information about an old fire engine and a stationary engine.

Across to a big deck by the river and more information.

Further along the path we found the Darling River Run info.

Drove along passing an old hotel to follow the signs to the Silo Art.

It is of a local lad, Percy Hobson, who put Bourke on the map with his Olympic high jump win. Very interesting story. Another fabulous mural by John Murray with some help.

Topped up the diesel at the 24hr depot for 199.9c/l - did the numbers and Steve very happy with the usage.

Another old hotel, under renovation?

Along to the Cemetery to find Fred Hollows grave again.

A new big polished rock (Feb 2006) and info board have been added.

The grave as we saw it in 2003.

His brother has a memorial here too.

Great brochure.

Out to the historic weir and lock for a cuppa. Can’t read the info on the sign. Zoomed downstream, the weir & lock then upstream.

Walked out onto the platform. Lots of rock ‘bricks’ to line the bank.

We saw a fish go up the fish ladder on the other side.

No camping here as we are just below someone’s property.

There is a big pump upstream that fed water into a channel but it is dry at the moment.

As we drove back out we spotted a Black-necked Stork (Australia’s only stork species). Amazingly I managed to get some photos as it flew off.

We always called them Jabirus because of the Northern Territory called them that and they named a town Jabiru. I have noticed on signs it wasn’t called that any more. I googled it and apparently the Jabiru is only found in Central & South America but they still call them Jabirus in Northern Territory when you google them.

Continued along the road then turned onto a track into the Fishing Reserve. It is downstream from the weir. Along a winding grey soil track to a picnic table on a bend. A perfect spot for us to park up tonight. We are on the east side of the river.

36 degree max forecast - 37 in the camper when I went in to open it up. Checked the forecast and the temps will be rising over the next few days 39, 42 and 44!! Realised it was Maralyn’s birthday today too so sent off a text to wish her a happy day. She replied thanks and that her knee is improving which is good. Jodie replied to my morning text - Bryon is cooking dinner and they have cheesecake for dessert and she has had lots of hugs from Arthur.

Sandy rang - they are in Geelong now with her daughter and family. The grandkids are happy to see her and Tom.

Drinks outside by the river in the shade of the big trees with a nice breeze. A couple of roos came down for a drinks further along the bank. We can hear a lot of corellas squawking so hopefully they won’t come and camp here tonight.

7.25pm the kookaburras laughed and we enjoyed the nice sunset colours in the cloud to the west.

Dinner outside too as it was lovely and we watched the stars appear and spotted 25 satellites. There was a lot that originated in one spot in the sky (probably Starlink) but on a slightly different path and they moved across the sky with each one going a bit further up from where the other one was. If you drew their paths it would look like a fan.