The Road to Parkes

Having successfully crossed the Blue Mountains in our Suzuki Vitara (a modern-day version of the camel trains of old), the expedition marched onward toward Parkes.  Expedition co-leader, Lord Admiral Bailey salutes oncoming traffic from the right-hand drive car.  Writing this nearly three months after my first taste of driving on the left side of the road, I can say that I still haven’t quite adapted back to driving on the right.

Yes, the cars are on the wrong side of the road.

The expedition’s progress was impeded by a coal train in the middle of a rain storm.  Note the El Camino-esque car in front of us.  This was one of our early Bogan vehicle sightings.

As the sun sank low into the west, the expedition sped onward toward The Dish just outside of Parkes.

The expedition halts to make scientific recordings of the surrounding countryside.

Lord Admiral Bailey documenting the indigenous Bogan agriculture.

Squall lines swept through the countryside around Parkes, bathing the land in cool rain and greenery.

The expedition continued toward The Dish.

Barque James Craig

The Barque James Craig was the final ship to meet with our review.

The ship underwent extensive restoration from a sunken hulk to what it is today over the course of many years.  It now lives in Sydney and periodically sails beyond the harbor to take passengers on high seas adventures.

Sailors must have been very small people.

The wheel and associated rudder mechanism.

Manning the bilge pump.