Cobar - a mining town

Cobar is a mining town.   

Copper was discovered in the 1870s and Cobar was known as the Great Cobar Copper Mine and was Australia's leading producer of copper.   After World War I copper fell in popularity as a mineral and the population fell from thousands of people to a few hundred.    The economy now is based on base metals and gold mining with a population of around 4100 people.    It is also a prosperous town. 

We had visited Cobar two years ago so did not intend to do any of the touristy things on this trip.   This was just as well as Walter ended up in hospital on the first night.   Nothing drastic, for Walter anyway.   His bowel started bleeding badly so I took him to the local hospital to be checked out.  Now I know this sounds alarming, but for Walter, who takes blood thinners, it can occur, and has done a few times in the past   Polyps grow and bleed, badly.   For Walter, anyway.    After two nights, he was sent to Dubbo by air ambulance, to be thoroughly monitored, although he was feeling well.    He was put on a liquid (non alcoholic) diet which fixed the problem.   All in all he has had a lovely few days of rest, in what appears to me, five star accommodation (hospital style).      

Both hospitals are fairly new, and the one in Cobar has a ward of large single rooms with bathrooms.  However there is no doctor based there, just very well trained and experienced nurses.   All consultations are made using tele health.    That was interesting to watch.

So instead of heading towards Burke, and the Darling River, I drove the three hundred kilometres down to Dubbo, a town we have driven through but never visited, so a new experience.  

But back to Cobar.    The nights were extremely cold, with frozen grass and thick frost on the windscreen.   However the days were sunny and warm, and I spent both afternoons sitting in the sunshine.    Plus catching up on the washing and getting rid of some of the dirt (white, brown and red) from inside the caravan.    We had a lovely spot beside the ablution block.

New South Wales love their reverse angle parking for cars.   A pain to get into but a joy to drive away from afterwards.     This is the main street of Cobar, which has lovely gift shops and camping shops plus three cafes.   The Barrier Highway runs through the main street but it does not appear to be a problem, unlike the Sturt Highway lower down.

                                         

The Royal Hotel with its beautiful iron lace work running around the top verandah. 

A group of shops on the main street.

The mining museum on the other side of the road, with the Miners' Memorial behind me.

The very large RV park on the edge of the town.

Now Dubbo has a river also, called the Macquarie River (the Waradjuri name for it is Wambuul).   This river runs into marshes which then drains into the Darling River.   And of course the Darling runs into the Murray River.   All adds up.   Mind you the cotton farms that I passed on the way here would siphon a fair bit of it off.