Still in Cobar....

I’m liking this spectacular early morning, beat the heat riding. 

Even the road trains were still parked up when I left.

As Gordon was OK, I took the opportunity to go and look for the lake which Ronnie ( from Tamworth) said was good. Well I found it easily - it was tucked away down behind Cobar golf course - but apart from a small puddle down one end, it was empty. Dry as a bone, sunbaked and crazy paved mud.

And its a fair sized lake, so for all that water to disappear shows just how desperate they are for rain around here.

A gang of white egrets were stalking around in what was left of the water. I couldn't get near them though as they were too twitchy.They’re herons and herons according to the info board have a hinged vertebrae in their neck which enable them to strike with it. A sort of inbody spear. And herons also have tufts of powder under the feathers on their bums. When they peck at those feathers, they break down into a powder which they then use to groom themselves.

And one of these was nearby; a Mallee Ringneck.( at least, thats what the board reckoned it was)

But although there was no water in the lake, every cloud has a silver lining, and I had a great time riding over the rarely exposed dirt.

I found a few golf balls, and some curious beach furniture; how do things get to the middle of a lake when they clearly don’t float? Golf balls are obvious, but beach chairs? What's all that about?

There was nobody else at the lake, except for an old bloke in a caravan, tucked away down one end of a dirt track. As he had a big dog with him, I stayed well away and once I’d tired of the lake bed, I rode through the bush round the edges.

And as the morning warmed up, I took a quick spin back to the cemetery as I forgot my camera when I went there yesterday. Cemeteries offer many clues to a place and although none of the graves are very old - late 1800s onwards - immigration patterns and job types are very clear. Lots of Irish, Scottish and English names, plus graves that clearly reflect trades related to mining and heavy industry.

But I found it a bit weird because its out on the edge of town on a big bit of red dirt desert with no foliage or trees, but the stones are the same type as those in the big Victorian gothic cemeteries around London - all angels and cherubs, tombs,scrolls and tumbling leaves. 

But they seem curiously out of place here in the parched dirt because whereas in London, vines and grasses and wild flowers grow over them, and urban wildlife lurk, these are pristine and isolated.  It was  like some sort of odd shop display  with stock covering generations. A bit like one of those old houses full of eclectic curios.

As I left, I decided to buy coffee to take back to Gordon. A bit difficult on a bike but at least the posties don’t have a clutch so it would be easy. And anyway, I used to be a waitress and do all that food balancing stuff. 

Well, as it turns out, I was a bit out of practice on the balancing front. I bought large, anticipating that I would spill some on the way home, and got the lady to put them in one of those cardboard tray things. 

But I hadn’t factored in all of the staff and customers congregating to watch me. All of them. But I wasn’t going to be phased by a load of Australian voyeurs, particularly as I had recently carted Gordon's excessive collection of bags over very rough dirt without mishap following his accident. So I kept calm and pretended I hadn’t noticed them before putting the tray on the ground, getting on the bike, starting it, getting off the bike, putting my gloves on, picking up the coffee tray and then riding off smoothly as if did it everyday. (I don't)

The only dodgy bit was when they made me jump by clapping as I moved off.  And what’s more, I even got back with most of the coffee still in the cups. Tralaaa.

We began looking for a vehicle today too. Up here is real ute land rather than van land, and there are quite a few about. We need something that can handle gravel roads with a tray on the bike for the bikes, space inside to stash our stuff, and a means of getting the bikes onto the tray. All for a budget price. Something like this.

 Michelle at the campsite has been really helpful with all of our upheaval over the last few days. It is always good and means a lot when people put themselves out for you when things have gone wrong. And she certainly did, so thanks mate, we really appreciate it! And good luck with your wedding.