Chapter 2

It’s a trip, the road to Ophir ... a kind of curvy two legs of a Scalene Triangle ... a scalene triangle has No equal sides and No equal angles but the sum of the length of the two short legs is always greater than the length of the long side. A real pisser. Especially when you can look at a map and realize that the short way doesn’t have any roads. Besides that, the leg from Bathurst dipped quite a bit south between home and Orange. Abby printed out a map and directions. She also printed out the propaganda:

OPHIR RESERVE: A recreational reserve 25 Kilometres from Orange.

The Ophir gold find, by John Lister and William Tom in 1851 was Australia’s first and gave the early settlement of Orange a firm foundation. Unfortunately 10 months after the Ophir strike, it dried up leaving Ophir today as a reserve only.

It is a historic reminder of the days of the gold rush. A great family activity trying your hand and luck at panning for gold or you can take a tour through “Gunnadoo”, a genuine working goldmine.

Located in a beautiful, peaceful gorge where the Summer Hill and Lewis Ponds Creeks converge there is a picnic and camping ground where you can camp for the night on the banks of Summer Hill Creek. Steel picnic tables, barbecue facilities and a toilet block are available.

There are multiple walking trails and 4WD Tracks for those who would like to explore the old workings and tunnels and you can do a little trout fishing as well.

Sure ... there would be pamphlets at the Center ... sure the tour guide would know what was what and where was where ... but Abby was excited. Dad, for the first time, was taking her where she wanted to go ... and it wasn’t to the Burger or the Pizza ... it was Someplace. Someplace out of town. Whee!

She sat in the passengers seat ... that in itself was a first ... Myndee was still in New Zealand. So, Abby was belted in and handed the AAA stuff Dad had picked up before the trip. She read the map and directions ... just like a Ralley Co-driver ... and during the long boring sections she read the propaganda ... out loud. And he didn’t shut her up ... not once.

Orange, the town, was bigger than Bathurst, but it just in the way. Erm ... except for the Arcade (s) on Summer street. Maybe later. They were out for a week ... CAMPING ... Daddy ... Dad ... usually spent the summers around the mines near Sunny Corner and up towards Sofala but this was her first time ... camping.

Except for the backyard and the treehouse. The neighbor boys, Tommy and Carl, after her begging for years to play with them, suddenly they wanted to play ... with her. And she didn’t know quite what to make of it.

She was still the same old girl she used to be ... well ... growing up ... and it would be nice if Tommy did some of that ... growing up. His Brat-hood seemed to increase when she wore her first bra. Now that she was larger his interest was growing. She giggled.

“What’s funny, sweetie?”

“Umh, Dad ... it’s a girl thing.”