Lightning Ridge and Back

Soon after Max's arrival we took off for a quick trip to Lightning Ridge and back. The total distance driven over three days was a little short of 1000 km! That's 625 miles for my Pommy readers. There were two reasons to go there: Max likes fossicking for gems and minerals; and Dot's friend, Cheronne, has a daughter married to a farmer who owns a property 20 km from the township. To reach Lightning Ridge (one of our major opal gem-fields) via the farm, we had to travel 120+ km on a gravel road across black soil country. After rain it is easy to get bogged, but the  region has been in drought for months and the road was navigable at speed - up to 100 km per hour (62 mph). Another hazard on such roads was the wild-life and there was abundant evidence of collisions between vehicles and kangaroos. We also saw emus (large flightless birds like ostriches), goannas (large lizards) and even snakes. Alas, we had a collision with a 'roo ... or rather the other way around. We were driving along normally and the animal decided to leap behind the car striking and removing the rear fender. The animal hopped away alone and unaided and presumably survived. We re-attached the fender and it survived hundreds of km intact!

These images of the farm show a dessicated landscape where the rain has stayed away for nearly two years. This field contains blackened wheat crop - useless even as cattle feed. Look at the size of the field - the far edge must be two km away!

Our 'camel' - a Rav-4.

Even the region's major river - the Barwon - was barely flowing and muddy.

Empty wheat silos stalked by an emu.

More emus. I don't know how they were surviving.

Me and Max in local dress!

Local art-work.

Mining machinery.

AS