Discovering Coolgardie's Past! Friday August 19 - Coolgardie

I wonder who noticed that my last post covered, in fact, 2 days of cycling - 66kms to the bush camp, then 20kms the following day to Coolgardie.
Today we allowed ourselves a sleep in!
After a fruit breakfast, we visited Coolgardie's prized museum. 
Held in what was previously an old courthouse, its awesome displays are truly a visual reminder of the hard life of gold prospectors and the rapid development and then decline of the town.
It originally boasted 23 hotels and was the 3rd largest town in WA.
Afghani cameleers were brought in to provide transport of gold and water.
By WW1, it was in decline.

After a pork and gravy roll, cinnamon doughnut and coffee at the one and only cafe in town (a caravan with a few tables and chairs outside) we walked 1km or so to the widely advertised rodeo.
Tickets could only be bought on line and today was children's day. Events started in 3 hrs! We decided not to wait!

Tonight I think we'll celebrate our milestone, reaching Coolgardie, with a glass of wine. 
I think we've earned it, don't you?
Off again towards Norseman tomorrow. Another bush camp planned!

Sorry but I am unable to reply to your comments. Would if I could! Love reading them though!


Comments

  1. Harry WhorwoodAugust 19, 2022 at 12:42 AM

    Never question a glass of wine - there’s always a reason. How fascinating the history is - our local town had a meteoric rise from 1860 and by 1960 it had died. I wonder what happened to the camels, I wondered if they had been released and bred - there’s an old joke about how to get camels moving quicker involving two house bricks, we won’t go there, but it might explain what they are not indigenous…! Pork and gravy rolls sound a bit yummy, I notice the scones with jam and cream - old Cornish/Devon thing, which does one put on first? All questions are rhetorical…! Truck on…

    ReplyDelete
  2. Harry WhorwoodAugust 19, 2022 at 1:30 AM

    OK, I give in…. Camels are indigenous and imported for said task. I had a sneaking suspicion they were and Professor Google confirmed it. Clearly someone’s thumbs got in the way (reference to the joke…). “And the wheels on the bikes go round and round…”.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Simon HenleyAugust 19, 2022 at 4:16 AM

    Guilty as charged Mum :) . Enjoy that wine!

    ReplyDelete

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