Have had a day off in this iconic Aussy town of which the famed poet Henry Lawson once said , ” if you know Bourke , you know Australia ”

With queens birthday the place has been pretty quiet , frustrating for me as I have a problem with the bike that requires access to a couple of tools that I don’t have . Fingers crossed that I will have luck tomorrow and get a fix . Can’t head further into the outback without getting a resolution to my problem .

Another more recent famous Australian had a special fondness for Bourke and the Aboriginal population who benefitted from his special ophthalmologist skills that made a big difference to the lives of so many .

The approach into Bourke .

He was clear ,

I wanna be buried in the Bourke cemetery, and I want my wake to be held with me in the coffin on that big clay bank north-west of Bourke. I’ve fallen deeply in love with this great concave continent. And that’s the closest bit of it that’s real Australia to here. I just hope I live a few weeks or months longer so that the temperature may come down a bit.

His wish was honoured and Hollows is in a shallow grave in Bourke .

I found this great motel , The Riverside Motel , a collection of late 1800’s building with old world charm . Plenty of room to spread out and relax .

Spent time at the tourist attraction ” Back O’ Bourke ” which has interesting historical displays and a live show demonstrating working horses , dogs and whips .

Enjoyed some of the interesting old architecture.