100 Towns

Wongarbon stretches lazily beside the railway line. There are old shops with the general store still open, a community hall, pub and decent sized school (3 teachers apparently). A couple of old shops facing the railway have been converted to a rather attractive art gallery. With a population of around 500 there are also streets of houses and streets typically lined with old Pepperina trees. It is only 19 kms from the big regional centre of Dubbo but maintains its own character so was a surprisingly interesting diversion from the main road.

Dubbo is a busy inland city, the centre of administration for a very big chunk of New South Wales.  With a population of 40,000 it's much bigger than most of the places we've visited. It services the rural community, with plenty of shops and government departments.  And there is much for a tourist to enjoy whether it be the farmers market, the Dubbo jail or the Western Plains Zoo. Unlike most of the towns we have visited it has a daily train service with the XPT from Sydney going to and from once each day.