An amicable, informative host, Stuart will charm you as he fills you in on all you need to know about the town. When we went on the tour I didn't even realize that Bourke was on the Darling River and had once been a vibrant steamboat town. I had no idea that it was the Darling River that gave birth to Bourke and gave it life. I certainly did not know that there was a special river flag that was used by the Murray-Darling steam-boat fraternity. 

When we came back from the tour we booked in for extra nights at the motel because we knew we simply had to go out and see Mysterious Oxley for ourselves. I could not believe that this would be such a magical place where I could see eagles hovering in the wind currents. 

I was captivated by the yarns and gained a sense of the special identity of this famous old watering hole, this rendezvous for outback's, swage's, drovers, bullock drivers and the like. 

More than that I learned where to buy the best fish and chips, how Fred Hollows came to lie in the Bourke Cemetery, that they have chloroform trees (trees that are so shady you can pass out under them on a hot day), about the Mateship Festival, the local industry and that wonderful Jojoba oil. We ate fresh oranges, the juice slipping down our arms and took samples for later on. 

So don't let the the grumpy spouse talk you out of yet another boring tour. Go! But first, book in for an extra day because you will want to stay on in Bourke after you have seen it. 

Heather Blakey
www.outbackonline.net