‘Cobar’ sounds like ‘crowbar’ and the town reminds me of something hard and enduring, even on this, probably my 20th visit to this great Outback NSW town. Cobar is located on the cross roads of the North-South Kidman Way and East-West Barrier Highway that takes you west to Wilcannia and Broken Hill and to Nyngan in an easterly direction. 
Mining in Cobar has suffered from the booms and busts associated with the price of minerals, in particular Gold and Copper, in the past. But apparently the town has had 10 years or more growth to date and is now in a boom phase. When in Cobar stop at the Great Cobar Heritage Centre – and the accredited Visitor Information Centre located there. The Centre provides some great insights into Cobar’s heritage and the mining industry.
I caught up with the local Tourism Manager, John Martin, at the Centre and had dinner with him that evening. The Kidman Way is never far from John’s mind and he was about to apply for funding to support the next edition of the Kidman Way brochure, edition 12 or 13. That’s how long John has been directly involved marketing and promoting this north-south stretch of highway through outback NSW.
On reflection, I started to recognise being drawn to this part of my cycling route by the power of the Kidman Way promotion that I had been involved in. “Love the Kidman Way” had been said to me by several different people towing caravans who occasionally use this route to travel to northern Queensland.
I have heard it said that Sydney Kidman had a butcher shop in Cobar before he started investing in the vast tracks of land he owned.
“Stretching over 900km from Jerilderie in New South Wales is the Kidman Way – a journey into the vast expanse of lush Riverina countryside, flat tumbleweed plains and rocky ranges. It is a place where legends were born and adventures can be found at every stretch of the road.”
Anyway I was cycling on the Kidman Way and started to really enjoy doing it the slow way.
A good stretch of the Kidman Way from the previous day.