The Outback Experience 3

Collarenebri is a small town at an intersection. Sign outside of town says, "Trucks stop here and drop your dust". Locals say that trucks traveling the road become covered with dust and if they stop, the dust will fall off and then their town stays cleaner. I don't know what scientific fact that is based on...but they believe it!

The hotel/pub is the focal point of a small community, that is the congregating place, the listening post. Thirsty travelers, farmers, graziers(ranchers) and opal miners belly up to the bar with the Aborigines and swap embellished stories and yarns. This is the place where Allan's cousin runs the hotel.

This is a picture of the hotel in Collarenebri, New South Wales, Australia. Copyright jcott@homeboys-adventures-in-australia.com.

This was the Collarenebri Hotel. Liz waited in the Jeep while we went inside to meet the cousin because the neighbors in the yard across the street looked a little intoxicated.

 

This is a picture of the public bar in the Collarenebri Hotel, always full of colorful characters. Copyright jcott@homeboys-adventures-in-australia.com.

Walking in the door, I was taken by all of the memorabilia on the walls of the pub. Three guys were at the bar, one doing a lot of talking, one with long hair, gold earring, chains on his wallet and black leathers, and a young guy just listening. Allan had a map and I had my camera.

"How goes it, two blokes come in here with a map and a camera? Aren't you blokes gonna have a drink?," the talkative guy said. Allan explained that we just came in to meet a long lost cousin and that I was just visiting from the States. Allan ordered a lemonade, so I did the same. Well the talkative one, Mick was his name, said, "Wot's a matta mates...can't you afford a drink?...bartender give them a drink and I will stand good for it....What'll you have?" Well....I ordered the cane rum since it was Australian. It came in a small shot glass...so I killed it. Mick about fell on the floor.....he thought I was a sipper rather than a guzzler....(grin). He said, "Wot are yah mate, a policeman?" "No" I said, "I'm CIA". You should have seen the look on his face.

Well Mick was also known as the 'Camel Man', because he hauled camels all over Queensland to exhibit and he also had an Opal mine and was a sportsman's guide also. He was a 'jack of all trades'. These were definitely some of the 'characters' that Allan had promised we would meet. "Tiny", the Mad Max was one of Mick's associates. Mick invited us to come out and work at his mine, but we didn't.

 

This is a picture of Liz, Allan holding down their bar stools, listening to the 'Camel Man's' tale. Copyright jcott@homeboys-adventures-in-australia.com.

By this time, Liz thought she should come look for us...in case we had gotten ourselves into trouble and joined us at the bar..with Mick and Mad Max. l-r bartender, Liz, Allan and Mick.

Allan's cousin and her husband came down and rescued us and we adjourned to the patio.

Outback Experience 4

"I Put A Seashell to My Ear...And it all comes back..HomeBoy in Paradise"

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