Bourke

Salt pan between Tibooburra and Bourke

On  the wharf in Bourke with Darling River

Catching yabbies

Night falling at Mays Bend

Driving for over 400km's from Tibooburra to Bourke on red sand roads, through the flood plains of the Paroo was wonderful. So much bird life. We've seen flocks of Budgies, Cockatiels, Major Mitchell Cockatoos, Red tailed Black Cockatoos, herons, ibis, swamp hens, coots, and even seagulls. Water everywhere. We even had our first water crossing. We camped beside the flooded Darling River again in a lovely spot called Mays Bend. Just out of Bourke on some crown land, surrounded by huge old River Red Gums. The flood marks in the trees showed the water was atleast 4m above where we camped, and we were another 4m above the river! There are dead fish and yabbies everywhere along the banks of the river and lying around in dried up billabongs. We are talking a hundred or more! They must have been caught in the flood waters, washed up or died when the water receded. Thankfully they weren't overly smelly. Mostly small Perch and a couple of huge Carp. The girls met an old fellow who showed them how to catch yabbies in the billabong. They even caught one! Russ played on the river edge, channelling Tom Sawyer, and tried to build a raft. I made pikelets. Very idealic. The old wharf in town showed how high the flood peak had been. The wharf would have to be around 12m above the river, and the flood mark was probably around 8m. Maeve spotted a Brown Snake just under the wharf. Bourke is a lovely little town. We are now in Cunnamulla, and Russ and the girls are swimming in the Warrego River with some local kids. We are on our way to Charleville.