Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Bourke - NSW
Bourke is a town and Local Government Area in the north of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located approximately 800 kilometres north-west of Sydney, on the south bank of the Darling River. At the 2006 census, Bourke had a population of 2,145, of whom 815 or 33% identified as Indigenous Australians.
The site of Bourke was first reached by British settlers in the 1820s and the town originally called Prattenville, was later named after Governor Richard Bourke of New South Wales in the 1830s.
Bourke was a port, where goods and passengers travelled by paddlesteamer along the Murray-Darling river system. However, the use of river transport declined when the railway reached Bourke in 1885. The railway closed in 1990 after flooding caused significant damage to the line. The railway station is now used as a tourist information centre.
In 1895 a heatwave killed 47 people in Bourke over a 13 day period. In that time the daily maximum temperature averaged 47°C (116.6°F).
Bourke can be reached by the Mitchell Highway, with additional sealed roads from town to the north (Cunnamulla), east (towards Brewarrina, Moree and Goondiwindi) and south (Cobar). The town is also served by Bourke Airport and has Countrylink bus service to other regional centres, like Dubbo. It was also formerly the largest inland port in the world for exporting wool on the Darling River. The countryside around Bourke is used mainly for sheep farming with some irrigated fruit and cotton crops near the river.
Bourke is the original end of the Main Western railway line, before the last section from Dubbo was closed to passengers.
Bourke is considered to represent the edge of the settled agricultural districts and the gateway to the Outback which lies north and west of Bourke. This is reflected in a traditional east coast Australian expression "back o' Bourke", referring to the Outback.
Bourke was mentioned in the trial of Bradley John Murdoch on November 24, 2005, as the place where murder victim Peter Falconio was allegedly seen, 8 days after his disappearance from near Barrow Creek, Northern Territory.
Fred Hollows, the famous eye surgeon, was buried in Bourke after his death in 1993. Fred Hollows had worked in Bourke in the early 1970s and had asked to be buried there.
The Telegraph Hotel, established in 1888 beside the Darling River, has been restored and now operates as the Riverside Motel
In 2008, persisent high levels of crime in Bourke led to bans on the sale of alcohol.
The site of Bourke was first reached by British settlers in the 1820s and the town originally called Prattenville, was later named after Governor Richard Bourke of New South Wales in the 1830s.
Bourke was a port, where goods and passengers travelled by paddlesteamer along the Murray-Darling river system. However, the use of river transport declined when the railway reached Bourke in 1885. The railway closed in 1990 after flooding caused significant damage to the line. The railway station is now used as a tourist information centre.
Bourke Court House
In 1895 a heatwave killed 47 people in Bourke over a 13 day period. In that time the daily maximum temperature averaged 47°C (116.6°F).
Bourke can be reached by the Mitchell Highway, with additional sealed roads from town to the north (Cunnamulla), east (towards Brewarrina, Moree and Goondiwindi) and south (Cobar). The town is also served by Bourke Airport and has Countrylink bus service to other regional centres, like Dubbo. It was also formerly the largest inland port in the world for exporting wool on the Darling River. The countryside around Bourke is used mainly for sheep farming with some irrigated fruit and cotton crops near the river.
Bourke is the original end of the Main Western railway line, before the last section from Dubbo was closed to passengers.
Bourke is considered to represent the edge of the settled agricultural districts and the gateway to the Outback which lies north and west of Bourke. This is reflected in a traditional east coast Australian expression "back o' Bourke", referring to the Outback.
Bourke was mentioned in the trial of Bradley John Murdoch on November 24, 2005, as the place where murder victim Peter Falconio was allegedly seen, 8 days after his disappearance from near Barrow Creek, Northern Territory.
Fred Hollows, the famous eye surgeon, was buried in Bourke after his death in 1993. Fred Hollows had worked in Bourke in the early 1970s and had asked to be buried there.
The Telegraph Hotel, established in 1888 beside the Darling River, has been restored and now operates as the Riverside Motel
In 2008, persisent high levels of crime in Bourke led to bans on the sale of alcohol.
Hunter Valley - NSW
The scenic Hunter Valley, also known as the "Wine Country", is one of Australia's premier wine making regions.
What once was a satellite penal colony where all the worst convicts were sent to do hard labour in the mines and timber camps, the area we now know as Hunter Valley was transformed by free settlers who arrived with grapes in the early 1820s.
The grapes flourished in this fertile region bounded by the hills of the Brokenback Range and by the 1840s, there were already more than 500 acres of registered vineyards through the region. Within less than two hours drive from Sydney, the region is a wine lover's heaven and the home to more than 80 wineries ranging from large, internationally-renowned labels such as Wyndham and Rothbury Estates to smaller multi-award winning wine growers.
Besides the lovely wine on offer, Hunter Valley also offers plenty of gourmet produce and fine dining from chocolate to cheese as well as old villages to explore and other outdoor activities such as canoeing, golfing, horse riding and hot air ballooning and more.
The region offers a plethora of accommodation to choose from such as resorts, self-contained cottages and boutique guesthouses.
Popular vineyards to visit: Bimbadgen Estate, Pepper Tree Wines, Scarborough Wines, Margan Family Winegrowers, Rothbury Estate and Wyndham Estate.
Lismore - NSW
Lismore is a sub-tropical city in the Northern Rivers on the Far North Coast of New South Wales, just shy of the Queensland border from where it gets its climate from.
The city of 27,069 residents is located 764 km away, or 9 hours drive, from the state capital of Sydney with easy access by both road or air. The climate is sub-tropical with mild to warm temperatures throughout the year. The average max. temperature for summer and winter is 28.9 and 23 degrees Celsius respectively with generous rainfall of about 1,300 mm.
One of the reasons why Lismore is such a popular tourist attraction is because there's lots to see and do: from walking the trails in World Heritage rainforests to visiting country villages, browsing colourful art and craft markets and even retail therapy, you will find something for everyone here.
Firstly, the walking trails. Lismore is blessed in this department - it's on the doorstep of some of Australia's most significant World Heritage-listed reserves, spectacular National Parks and State Forests. A network of bushwalking trails throughout the parks - Mt Warning National Park, Nightcap National Parks, etc. - offer everything from gentle ten minute strolls to two-day hiking adventures.
The city is also littered with postcard-perfect villages - each with its own unique character - featuring antique and curio shops, galleries, tea houses and cafes.
For those into their art and culture, visit the historical society and check out the history of Lismore, plus a fascinating collection of aboriginal artefacts and pioneer relics including clothing, tools, furniture and handiwork.
Yellow Rosella
Images created by artist Marjorie Crosby-Fairall.
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