Have wangled 10 days off from the daily grind and Linda and I are heading up to Lightning Ridge and Bourke from Sydney. Been up and down and around the coast, time to see a bit of the red stuff.. Not retired yet (sigh) another few years yet. Our rig is a diesel Mazda CX5, towing a Coromal Excel 511 pop top. Suits us fine at the moment, however once we do retire we hope to upgrade to something more suited to longer ventures, free camping and getting off the bitumen. Any recommendations for this trip? Must see's? Looking forward to be able to just head off one day like a lot of you guys do, no time limits, or schedules to keep to!!
keiron said
04:17 PM Oct 6, 2014
Hi Craig55,
I have just returned from a short trip to the Ridge with my family. My second visit.
What to do.
The normal touristy things, but do yourself a favour and follow the "coloured" car door tours. They are free and will show you around the immediate Town proper.
A must do is the trip out to The Grawin, Glengarry and Sheepyards Opal Fields. This is where the current action is and you need to visit each of the Pubs / Clubs (3 of them) in the fields. About 70klms out from the Ridge and some rough corrugated roads when you arrive, but a "must do".
Oh, and visit the "mullock heap" out there for a scratch and some "noodling".
Finally, the Mineral Spa baths for a soak.
Cheers, and good luck. KB
moamajohn said
07:52 PM Oct 6, 2014
Kidmans camp is the venue at bourke and we went to opal park at the ridge its just the best .no debate .
Blue said
08:13 PM Oct 6, 2014
moamajohn wrote:
Kidmans camp is the venue at bourke and we went to opal park at the ridge its just the best .no debate .
I remember when we went to the bottle shop there and all of the grog was behind heavy gauged wire with one serving hole in the middle...
come after hours down at the shops and all the shutters come down to cover the windows and doors.. never seen anything like this in my travels... so suffice to say... when in Bourke, stay in a CP
btw... watch out for Goats
Wilcannia has an interesting little bridge... take a picture and keep going..
the worst Caravan Park I've ever stayed in.. bloody burs everywhere sticking into everything... man I was angry
then I went to the club to get a few takeaway beer.. but oh no.. they don't sell takeaways... not sure if it was after a certain hour now or what..
so no beers and a million spiking burs in everything..
-- Edited by Blue on Monday 6th of October 2014 08:28:43 PM
Craig55 said
08:25 PM Oct 6, 2014
Thanks for the heads up. Seems like there will be lots to see and do. Will certainly be different to our last trip back in April which was along the Great ocean road, and through Victoria, staying at Ballarat, Dayelsford,Bright, Seymour and a favourite of ours, Riverglade Cp in Tumut. Love the diversity of this great nation!
Craig55 said
08:35 PM Oct 6, 2014
Thanks Blue. Yep, definitely will be staying in a cp. Kidmans camp in Bourke and Opal cp in LR is where we will drop anchor. Looking forward to heading out of the big smoke and seeing some of the interior and those starry night skies!
trouto said
09:08 PM Oct 6, 2014
When and where are you going to stay at lighting ridge
I am on our way there now
Left Timboon last Thursday to Sydney for two days
Then over the Blue Mountains to Dubbo ,where we are going to stay until Wednesday 8th
Then onto lighting ridge. For a week before heading home "some way"
So il keep an eye out for you
Craig55 said
10:06 PM Oct 6, 2014
Trouto, expect to arrive in Lightning Ridge on Saturday the 11th. We head off first thing this Friday (10th) will stop overnight maybe around Gulgong then onto LR, heard good things about Kidmans camp, so will head there. Look forward to maybe catching up with a fellow nomad.
trouto said
07:29 AM Oct 7, 2014
You forward to it mate
Safe trip
Blue said
07:32 AM Oct 7, 2014
about 5 kilometres south of the lightening ridge turnoff there's a massive rest area there where travellers stay... its fairly new and on my way to QLD recently I stayed there with about 15 other travellers.. heaps of room!!
PeterD said
08:09 AM Oct 7, 2014
Blue wrote:come after hours down at the shops and all the shutters come down to cover the windows and doors.. never seen anything like this in my travels... so suffice to say... when in Bourke, stay in a CP
Blue, Craig lives in Sydney. There are heaps of small shopping centres in the outlying suburbs just like that. Bourke is no worse than those areas. I feel just as safe in Bourke as I do in western Sydney.
countryroad said
08:32 AM Oct 7, 2014
I'm writing this from the Kidman Camp at Bourke. Going to enjoy the dinner..poetry. .stories ..whatever tonight. I stopped in Wilcannia and had coffee and scone at the lovely Courthouse Cafe down near the park and the cheaper fuel.
Once a fortnight the Sisters of Mercy run an op shop so met Sister Maureen and met her again in Cobar at a Gallery...was great wandering around. Heading to Lightning Ridge
Robyn
PeterD said
08:33 AM Oct 7, 2014
Blue wrote:Wilcannia has an interesting little bridge... take a picture and keep going..
the worst Caravan Park I've ever stayed in.. bloody burs everywhere sticking into everything... man I was angry
then I went to the club to get a few takeaway beer.. but oh no.. they don't sell takeaways... not sure if it was after a certain hour now or what..so no beers and a million spiking burs in everything..
Why keep going? Wilcannia is an interesting town. They have a good town tour leaflet, go and look at their old buildings, there are some interesting ones..
Caravan parks -Warrawong on the Darling was one of the better parks I have stayed in. See Badgers reports The powered sites are on turf that was imported from Dubbo at great expense. If you stayed in the one by the river then if you are there when things are dry then you must expect things like that in season in any country park where there s little irrigation.
There is no drinking anywhere in public areas in Wilcannia outside licensed premises. There is little point in take-away booze. You will find a lot of places around the country like that. It is at the request of the locals and is a great aid to problems amongst their community. Don't knock it, it has made these communities very safe places. When travelling in the outback you should carry stocks if even only to drink cheaper booze. If you are going outback then you are going to have quite a few dry nights if you are not prepared. At any rate it's good to drink with the locals in their clubs/pubs and get to know their country.
We had a few good nights there at Warrawong. One day we took a drive up to the Coach & Horses camp-ground for lunch. It's an interesting area out there.
Craig55 said
10:11 AM Oct 7, 2014
Sorry Trouto, Kidman's camp is Bourke. Opal cp opposite the artesian baths is our planned stop.
Nelly said
10:40 AM Oct 7, 2014
Hill End is a great place to look at - beautiful old mining town - there was a town common where you could camp - I imagine it is still the same. Wilcannia has some beautiful old buildings - you must take a drive and look around there - have been there a couple of times and never had any problems. Enjoy wherever you go. Keep well and happy travels.
Craig55 said
10:44 AM Oct 7, 2014
Robyn, Poetry on a plate is on our agenda as well. Linda too loves op shops and looking for treasures along the way and our mornings always involve a search for a coffee ( what's the saying about taking the girl out of the city?) yep, we are always mindful of safety, done a lot of travel overseas, born and bred in Sydney's western suburbs, (very sad Bulldog supporters) next year is ours.. Go the doggies!!
glendadon said
01:49 PM Oct 7, 2014
Hi Craig you certainly wont regret staying at the Opal caravan park in the ridge it is owned by a good friend of mine and if you look at the reports on Trip Adviser you will see its the top park in that town but I suppose I am Bias so enjoy your stay there.
Bushie said
04:20 PM Oct 7, 2014
Also at Kidmans Camp at the moment if anyone arrives by Friday 10th check out the Outback Show at the Back O'Bourke Centre well worth the money very entertaining.
as for The Ridge, The Opal CP is definitely the one.
-- Edited by Bushie on Tuesday 7th of October 2014 04:22:01 PM
trouto said
08:27 PM Oct 7, 2014
We got held up in Dubbo
The wife has just finished chemo and radiation and isn't to well
So I've booked in for another day
I think that we where going to stay at the Opal ,we will see when we get there
Anyway keep an eye out for a Jayco Expanda towed by a Nissan Navara with a green kayak on top
Catch ya there
glendadon said
09:33 PM Oct 7, 2014
Hello Trouto I am sorry to here your wife not well from the chemo having been though it I can appreciate what she is feeling so wish her all the best from myself and my wife Glenda and its great that she is getting out and enjoying herself to help put it behind her.
-- Edited by glendadon on Tuesday 7th of October 2014 09:34:01 PM
Willow said
11:57 PM Oct 7, 2014
I spent a night at Kidmans. Overpriced, rude staff and the poetry on a plate turned out to be $25 for a slop of ordinary stew. Next night I camped below the bridge and had the best time watching the wildlife on the Darling. Wilcannia is great with some magnificent buildings alongside the neglected ones. My advice... keep going west and visit White Cliffs. It's lightning ridge without the tourist trappings.
trouto said
09:03 AM Oct 8, 2014
Thanks guys
how nice coming from people that we don't know (yet)
she still isn't to well today , but up and over having a shower
Have wangled 10 days off from the daily grind and Linda and I are heading up to Lightning Ridge and Bourke from Sydney. Been up and down and around the coast, time to see a bit of the red stuff.. Not retired yet (sigh) another few years yet. Our rig is a diesel Mazda CX5, towing a Coromal Excel 511 pop top. Suits us fine at the moment, however once we do retire we hope to upgrade to something more suited to longer ventures, free camping and getting off the bitumen. Any recommendations for this trip? Must see's? Looking forward to be able to just head off one day like a lot of you guys do, no time limits, or schedules to keep to!!
Hi Craig55,
I have just returned from a short trip to the Ridge with my family. My second visit.
What to do.
The normal touristy things, but do yourself a favour and follow the "coloured" car door tours. They are free and will show you around the immediate Town proper.
A must do is the trip out to The Grawin, Glengarry and Sheepyards Opal Fields. This is where the current action is and you need to visit each of the Pubs / Clubs (3 of them) in the fields. About 70klms out from the Ridge and some rough corrugated roads when you arrive, but a "must do".
Oh, and visit the "mullock heap" out there for a scratch and some "noodling".
Finally, the Mineral Spa baths for a soak.
Cheers, and good luck. KB
I remember when we went to the bottle shop there and all of the grog was behind heavy gauged wire with one serving hole in the middle...
come after hours down at the shops and all the shutters come down to cover the windows and doors.. never seen anything like this in my travels... so suffice to say... when in Bourke, stay in a CP
btw... watch out for Goats
Wilcannia has an interesting little bridge... take a picture and keep going..
the worst Caravan Park I've ever stayed in.. bloody burs everywhere sticking into everything... man I was angry
then I went to the club to get a few takeaway beer.. but oh no.. they don't sell takeaways... not sure if it was after a certain hour now or what..
so no beers and a million spiking burs in everything..
-- Edited by Blue on Monday 6th of October 2014 08:28:43 PM
I am on our way there now
Left Timboon last Thursday to Sydney for two days
Then over the Blue Mountains to Dubbo ,where we are going to stay until Wednesday 8th
Then onto lighting ridge. For a week before heading home "some way"
So il keep an eye out for you
Trouto, expect to arrive in Lightning Ridge on Saturday the 11th. We head off first thing this Friday (10th) will stop overnight maybe around Gulgong then onto LR, heard good things about Kidmans camp, so will head there. Look forward to maybe catching up with a fellow nomad.
Safe trip
Blue, Craig lives in Sydney. There are heaps of small shopping centres in the outlying suburbs just like that. Bourke is no worse than those areas. I feel just as safe in Bourke as I do in western Sydney.
Why keep going? Wilcannia is an interesting town. They have a good town tour leaflet, go and look at their old buildings, there are some interesting ones..
Caravan parks -Warrawong on the Darling was one of the better parks I have stayed in. See Badgers reports The powered sites are on turf that was imported from Dubbo at great expense. If you stayed in the one by the river then if you are there when things are dry then you must expect things like that in season in any country park where there s little irrigation.
There is no drinking anywhere in public areas in Wilcannia outside licensed premises. There is little point in take-away booze. You will find a lot of places around the country like that. It is at the request of the locals and is a great aid to problems amongst their community. Don't knock it, it has made these communities very safe places. When travelling in the outback you should carry stocks if even only to drink cheaper booze. If you are going outback then you are going to have quite a few dry nights if you are not prepared. At any rate it's good to drink with the locals in their clubs/pubs and get to know their country.
We had a few good nights there at Warrawong. One day we took a drive up to the Coach & Horses camp-ground for lunch. It's an interesting area out there.
Sorry Trouto, Kidman's camp is Bourke. Opal cp opposite the artesian baths is our planned stop.
Also at Kidmans Camp at the moment if anyone arrives by Friday 10th check out the Outback Show at the Back O'Bourke Centre well worth the money very entertaining.
as for The Ridge, The Opal CP is definitely the one.
-- Edited by Bushie on Tuesday 7th of October 2014 04:22:01 PM
The wife has just finished chemo and radiation and isn't to well
So I've booked in for another day
I think that we where going to stay at the Opal ,we will see when we get there
Anyway keep an eye out for a Jayco Expanda towed by a Nissan Navara with a green kayak on top
Catch ya there
Hello Trouto I am sorry to here your wife not well from the chemo having been though it I can appreciate what she is feeling so wish her all the best from myself and my wife Glenda and its great that she is getting out and enjoying herself to help put it behind her.
-- Edited by glendadon on Tuesday 7th of October 2014 09:34:01 PM
I spent a night at Kidmans. Overpriced, rude staff and the poetry on a plate turned out to be $25 for a slop of ordinary stew. Next night I camped below the bridge and had the best time watching the wildlife on the Darling. Wilcannia is great with some magnificent buildings alongside the neglected ones. My advice... keep going west and visit White Cliffs. It's lightning ridge without the tourist trappings.
Thanks guys
how nice coming from people that we don't know (yet)
she still isn't to well today , but up and over having a shower
so good sign
thanks once again