Inland Gems...

We were pumped to officially be on the road since we hadn’t slept a night in the van since we picked her up and headed for Geoff’s. The sun was shining and we were eager to arrive in our first destination. It was mid afternoon when we pulled into the tiny town of Goondiwindy, Gundy as it’s referred to by locals. We had read that there was a drive-in theatre so we were keen to find out the details for a great night out in our new wheels. We followed the town map and spotted the over sized screens in the distance. We pulled in to find a Mother with her Daughter playing on a small swing-set. As Aussies do the woman asked “Are ya alright?”. We inquired about the drive-in and with a laugh she told us it had been closed down for nearly 15 years. Well, we’re not tourists are we?...From there we checked into a basic van park and planned just to stop in for the night. The owner was blessed with the gift of gab and filled us in on most everything we needed to know about “Gundy”. Taking her advice, we started out on the riverside path leading through town. The river in town marks the state border between New South Whales and Queensland. We were just in time for the gorgeous sunset and were both totally impressed by the riverside activity as the sun went down. There were hundreds of birds of countless varieties and the hour or so which we spent along the river had made it all worth the drive.

Another highlight to this inland loop, was the opal mining community of Lightning Ridge. The most westerly point reached on our track, the area was full of character and reminded us of images we had come to know from classic western films. The town was equipped with little shops, a wild-west-styled tavern, the only thing it seemed to be missing were the tumbleweeds. The land around the region is vast yet gorgeous with emptiness. We decided to bunker down at an old cattle ranch called Lorne Station (Station in Aussie=Ranch). It was like being in the middle of no where. Over the few days we stayed there we noticed that the prospect of finding a rare profitable opal attracts an eclectic crowd. It’s quite common for people to mine the land with hope until frustration finally leads to their abandoning of the land, mine shafts, and dreams. It would have been nice to discover our own one of a kind piece but we left the hard work to the professionals and I bought a gorgeous piece of Queensland Bolder Opal from a local shop, the Opal Cave. Opal dates back to dinosaur times and is a form of silica, chemically similar to quarts. The colours produced by the opal are a result of the silica trapping white light and splitting that light into different shades. Bolder Opal can be fossilized organic matter, (bones, shells, etc.) and can be thousands or even millions of years old. There are many varieties and the Australian Outback produces 95% of the worlds Opal. My ring has colourful secrets to reveal at every angle, I love it.
Shortly after leaving Lightning Ridge we thought it was time to take a dip in the infamous Bore Baths. There are several places here where natural hot springs pump from within the earth, producing natural spouts. Several areas, even public swimming pools, use this hot mineral water for baths. We stopped at Burren Junction where we joined about a dozen older folks for a dip. After a little relaxation and rejuvenation we were back on the road towards Mount Kaputar National Park.