On the road again  - the "Darling River Run"

North Bourke Bridge over the Darling River 

This is a bridge near where we will be staying at Bourke.  We will travel out to here to take a ride on a paddle boat and may pass under this bridge.  We will then travel up the road to Enngonia, visiting the town school then to the pub for lunch.  Others of us are going on to the Queensland border, where they will be meeting with one of the oldest NSW publicans at the local pub. Why am I writing this before the trip, you ask?  I'm thinking that I might find writing during the tour a bit difficult, as some of the areas we'll be travelling to have limited phone service and the days are likely to be very busy.  We have a full-on itinerary as we are looking to cover many great issues - Cultural, Social, Economical, and Spiritual life. 

Bourke Weir plays a major role in supplying the town's water  

As we travel each day, using roads as close to the Darling River as possible, the welcome rain the last month and the follow-up rain last week may see some of the dirt roads closed. But it's better to see rain and water in the river system and we can always come back for a look at these places later.  I will try to post or at least upload photos to Facebook, as I can do that with a couple of other devices. We will also see some great birds and animals along our way.



Pelicans I saw on an earlier trip.

The Darling River around 4 weeks ago (taken from a friend's Facebook page).

The Tour is hoped to open conversations with those we meet along the way - this is not just with church groups but with industry people we will interact with daily, and at the formal Forums set up along the way. A lot of thought and planning has gone into this Tour; it's not just a sightseeing trip but a way for the Uniting Church (UCA) to reach out to the folk who live and work on our mighty river system.  We have people from many parts of the church travelling with us but in true UCA style, we are One and we are seeking to build connections with those we meet.

News will come out in days to come on the Blog and also The Rural Chaplains Facebook page, and others I am sure. Please, if you're a prayer, pray for our safe travels.  We have 2 mini-buses and a couple of 4x4s transporting over 30 people on the trip, plus unknown numbers of people travelling to attend the Forums.  But most of all I pray we open the hearts and minds of the Church, communities, government and non-government Services as we seek to understand each other and the best way to monitor and look after people along the mighty river systems.

Shalom