Time to head north to the Sunshine Coast for Meg's 80th Birthday and Christmas. Special time with family and friends. Grandchildren to cuddle and play with. Yippeee!!!
From Mildura we decided to head up through outback NSW and follow the Darling River part of the way - Pooncarie, Menindee, Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Walgett, Cobar, Bourke and Lightning Ridge. Then across to Dirranbandi, Dalby, Kilcoy and home! It turned out to be quite an adventure.
Pooncarie
3rd - 4th November 2017
Pooncarie is a tiny town set on the banks of the Darling River 115klm north of Wentworth. Pooncarie was once a thriving port town, with paddlesteamers laden with wool plying the Darling downstream for South Australia.
For some strange reason they like to put tractors and cars on sticks.
Dezziz favourite tractor - the Fergie Four Banger. (This one was at Wentworth, just north of Mildura)
Another stick car - a Peugeot at Pooncarie.
Brilliant camp on the Darling. Power and water for $10. Bargain. Dez threw the yabbie pot in and wet a line, but got nothin'.
So we had a great fire instead.
There is lots of wide, flat nothingness out here on the way to Menindee via the mainly dirt road.
All fine and dandy to start with on the bitumen, but soon to hit the dirt. About 120 klm of it. So all going well until......it started to rain. The road is black dirt, which turns to very, very slippery grease when wet. Bugga bum and other words. The mud sticks like the proverbial to the tyres, so no traction. We did the drive at about 5-10 klm/hour to try and stop skidding and sliding.
NOT a drive to be repeated. Reminiscent of driving the Cape Leveque road on the pouring rain!!
Tyre marks from a previous motorhome sliding all over the place.
Fortunately there were lots of cattle grids, which had bitumen. So we stopped every now and then to have a rest. Just a bit of mud collecting on the van!
Dez had to use a shovel to dig it off.
Tread....what tread!!!
The bulk of the mud removed and ready to tackle another section. Dez drove like an absolute champion. He kept the van from spinning out. At one point we thought we were gonners, but Dez managed to pull through. He credits us surviving unscathed to the Hitch Easy and Anderson Weight Distribution system he put on the van.
I just wanted to cry and throw up.
We had planned to do a free camp on the Darling, but that entailed another 10 klm of wet, slippery mud to get to the camp. NO WAY! So we headed to a caravan park to do some major cleaning.
Copi Hollow
4th - 5th November 2017
Luckily this caravan park was situated on a large, artificially constructed lake so there was a substantial hose and an endless supply of water!
Icky sticky mud!
Kept Dez busy for quite a while. He has already hosed the car, but the residue sticks to the car. Worry about that tomorrow.
Making our own mud puddles.
Finally all hosed off and set up on the banks of the lake. Beautiful!
Just in time to enjoy a well earned drink and sunset.
Next morning Dezzi was up bright and early with bucket and cleaning mit. What a guy.
And all sparkly clean again. Of course, today there is not a cloud in the sky!!!!!!
Poking some more mud off. Dried up lumps kept falling off for days.
Menindee Lake.
Miles and miles of flat, barren countryside.
5th - 9th November 2017
In 1844, the explorer Charles Sturt saw and named the Barrier Range, and at the time referred to a "Broken Hill" in his diary. Silver ore was later discovered on this broken hill in 1883 by a boundary rider named Charles Rasp. The "broken hill" that gave its name to Broken Hill actually comprised a number of hills that appeared to have a break in them. The broken hill no longer exists, having been mined away.
Broken Hill is Australia's longest-lived mining city and was founded in 1883 by boundary rider Charles Rasp, who patrolled the Mount Gipps fences. In 1883 he discovered what he thought was tin, but the samples proved to be silver and lead. The orebody they came from proved to be the largest and richest of its kind in the world. Rasp and six associates founded the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP), later BHP Billiton, in 1885, as the Syndicate of Seven. By 1915 BHP had realised that its ore reserves were limited and begun to diversify into steel production. Mining at the BHP mines at Broken Hill ceased 28 February 1939. BHP was not the only mining operation at Broken Hill though, and mining continued at the southern and northern ends of the Line of Lode. The Line of Lode is 7.5 klm long by 1.2 klm deep. Currently the southern and northern operations are run by Perilya Limited, who plan to open further mines along the Line of Lode.
The mines still operate today and have no view to stopping anytime soon. The original mine still has an approximate life of another 30 years. Apparently, the main mullock heap has $40,000,000 worth of silver in it. However, it would cost $42,000,000 to mine it. Therefore, it will stay put.
It was this mine that moved Australia from a pastoralist nation, to an industrial/mining nation. We owe our thanks to the workers and unions of the BHP mine back in the early 1900's for a lot of the working conditions we enjoy today. The main one being the 35 hour week for miners, and paid holidays.
At it's peak Broken Hill had a population of 35,000. Consequently there were 72 pubs in the town! Today that has dwindled to about 12 operating pubs. One of these is the Palace Hotel whose claim to fame is having a portion of Pricilla, Queen of the Desert filmed there.
Broken Hill today is also very well known for it's art scene. There are many galleries in the town, not lease of all Pro Hart. So, lots to see and do.
View of Broken Hill from the Miner's Museum and Memorial.
One of the old mind heads.
This is quite moving. A wall of remembrance to all the miners who died in the mines, from it's commencement to now. The last death was 2006. The youngest was only 12 years old. Children as young as 8 worked in the mine.
Being a rebel and sitting on the big red chair. A must do in Broken Hill.
Next off to the Pro Hart Gallery.
Before becoming a full-time artist, Pro Hart worked for 25 years in the mines. The "Pro" came from his nickname in the mines of "Professor", which was shortened to "Pro" Apparently given to him beacuase his mates thought he was a bit of a know it all! His first name is actually Kevin!
This sculpture is at the front of the property. Had no idea that Pro Hart did many, many sculptures as well as painting.
Pro only ever drove Rolls Royce cars. This is his famous painted one.
Phone home....
Pro's old mining equipment.
One of his sculptures.
The famous paint blaster.
Pro's studio.
A huge mural painted on the gallery walls.
Pro's wife has an amazing collection of antique baby rattles!
The famous carpet dragonfly. Who remembers the ad? "Oh, Mr Hart. What a mess!"
We both found this picture fascinating. So absolutely well worth a visit. Picked up a couple of prints. The originals just a bit out of our price range.
Next stop another must to in 'The Hill' as it is locally referred to. Bell's 1950's Milk Bar, which is unchanged since the 1950s. There is also a museum of all things 1950.
Yum scrum....soooo good! Milkshakes and spiders. We also had waffles and ice-cream. Belly full!!!
Funky old art work.
Oh my goodness! This is the same as my first record player ha ha!
The old settee. I remember those. Also a selection of milkshake makers over the years.
Ahh..the memories. The old portable hair dryer. And in the background the same Sunbeam Mix Master I grew up using!
The next day I left Dezzi behind and did a guided walk around the town. Very interesting.
A rock sample with silver in it.
This is an old header with the lift to transport miners up and down the shafts. Apparently up to 14 people would squeeze in here!
Another one of Pro Hart's sculptures.
There are sculptures all around the town. I liked this one expressing how precious water is out here.
Interesting story.
The Syndicate of Seven.
Confronted with the possibility of prospectors roaming about his property, George McCulloch suggested that a syndicate of seven station employees be formed to develop the claim and an additional six leases be pegged and registered - the seven agreed and the syndicate was formed.
Next on the walk, The Trades Union Hall. A beautiful old building. There were so many different Unions in Broken Hill for all the different trades and businesses, that they were all housed in one building.
Mail boxes.
Beautiful painted pressed tin ceiling.
Back in the day, everyone belonged to a Union. Each quarter your fee would be paid and you would be issued with a badge. This badge would have to be produced to the Union Delegate every Tuesday, or you would be fined!
There were three major strikes in Broken Hill, which culminated in many improvements being implemented for better conditions, pay and hours worked.
The Methodist Church.
Yet another Gallery. There are so many.
Council Chambers.
So many beautifully preserved buildings.
The local newspaper. Do any of them tell the truth???
Fabulous sculpture at the War Memorial.
Main street.
Lovely old building.
This is the Palace Hotel, that featured in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Had to go in here!
The Palace is famous for it's murals. All walls are covered.
A tribute to Priscilla.
Beautiful dining room. All action for Melbourne Cup Lunch.
No Melbourne Cup fancy lunch for Bevie, so found this lovely little café with original tables.
Thought I might just have a little BLT - holy moly! It was soooo yummy!
An easy 25klm drive out to Silverton. The mine here was established a couple of years before Broken Hill. However, it's claims to fame are more artists, the local pub which has been in numerous films and advertisements, and the filming of Mad Max 2.
The old railway house.
The Mundi Mundi Plains are where Mad Max 2 was mostly filmed. You drive out of town for about 5 minutes and come to a rise. There before you is miles of flat, flat nothingness! Spectacular in it's bareness.
It's easy to imagine those crazy Mad Max cars zooming around here.
There is not much left of this town. But some of the main buildings remain.
Bourke Street....
Not very busy!
Even donkeys!
The artists in the outback are fabulous. Loved this one.
We had a great chat with John. A bit of a nutter.
So, of course, one has to check out the Mad Max memorabilia.
Sigh.....Mel baby back when he was a heartthrob!
Then lunch at the pub which was great!
Crazy car covered in bottle tops???
This drive is called 'beyond the 39 dips'. There are 39 dips along the way!
Back into Broken Hill and into the Mineral Art Gallery and Mining Museum.
This is a private museum and the lady was hilarious. She had nothing but criticism for our current generation of lazy bastards that wouldn't work in an iron lung compared to the original miners. We found it hard not to laugh. She was so serious. Yeah, bring back 12 hour days underground and poor working conditions for 12 year old.....ha ha!
Anyhoo, it was interesting.
A model of one of the Broken Hill Mines.
So hubby has made many, many pictures from crushed minerals. Not my cup of tea, not bad all the same.
And the missus has the most amazing collection of dolls and bears. Because....you know....kids now don't appreciate anything and just throw things away!
I really loved this. A child's doll pram. Beautiful. I had an English pram for my baby boys.
Our camp in Broken Hill was at the Racetrack. Fantastic. Power and water. $25/night. Lovely green grass and right on the track. No races on though!
However, every afternoon the trotters did a few laps for training. Bit of fun.
The finishing line.
Campers all lined up! How good would it be if the races were on ha ha!
Afternoon chats with the neighbours.
These old racecourses are lovely.
You can just imagine the grog that flows here!
Just out of Broken Hill is the Living Desert. This campground had only been open for a couple of weeks. The main attraction out here is a collection of sculptures on the escarpment. It was a great bush camp, but a bit expensive for what you get. $32 with camping and viewing the sculptures.
Nice and peaceful, though. Just us and a lovely lady - Wendy. Travelling on her own with an old van and 4WD. There are so many single women travelling Australia.
Before heading up to the sculptures I knew Dezzi would love a nature walk.
Spotted a bearded dragon.
He had not moved the whole time we did the walk!
Quite amazed to see lichen on the rocks out here in the desert!
The plan was to have drinks and nibbles and watch the sunset from the sculptures. The masses of ants, however, put paid to that idea. We moved about three times. Sprayed ourselves and the ground with repellent, but the little buggers still won. We did have fun though.
"There are 12 massive sandstone sculptures. Initiated by Gosford-based sculptor Lawrence Beck and created by 12 artists from five countries, these striking sandstone pieces celebrate the strong connection between art and environment within the region. Perched on top of a hill and accompanied by spectacular panoramic views, the sculptures are an impressive part of Broken Hill's skyline, particularly at sunset." (excerpt from the travel brochure)
Dez and Wendy enjoying the refreshments at spot number two.
The sculptures are fabulous. An amazing outback experience.
Of course they all had deep and meaningful interpretations!
Love an outback picnic.
On the road again. A brief stop-off for a walk around Wilcannia, which is also on the Darling River. So according to the "brochure" Wilcannia in 1890 was Australia's third largest inland port town and known as the "Queen City of the West". Well....I can tell you it ain't nothin' like that now. Run down, rubbish and empty beer can everywhere, and make sure you lock up your car and hang on to your bag. Not a prime destination.
There were still some lovely old sandstone buildings from the years of prosperity.
There are quite a few of these bascule bridges spanning the Murray and Darling Rivers. A bascule bridge (sometimes referred to as a drawbridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or "leaf", throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- or double-leafed.
The name comes from the French term for balance scale, which employs the same principle. Bascule bridges are the most common type of movable span because they open quickly and require relatively little energy to operate, while providing the possibility for unlimited vertical clearance for marine traffic.
Beer cans all along the banks of the river.
Boarded up shops all around the town.
Some beautiful buildings still remain.
We had planned on camping in Wilcannia, but decided to move along a little further, as the vibe was a little less than ideal. Great roadside free camp at McCulloch's Rest Area. Surprisingly quiet, and plenty of room.
Even had internet!
From our roadside stop to the next port of call - Cobar, an easy 200 odd klm drive. All cruising along fine and dandy......until.....travelling at 100klms down the highway the van breaks grabbed full on half a dozen times. Dez managed to keep control and pull off the road. Out we get. Phew, the smell of burning rubber from the overheated tyres. Not good. 114 klm from Cobar.
So, on the upside, we had phone service. Plus number one. Plus number two, called RACQ Ultimate and a tow truck was on it's way, motel accommodation booked and the tow truck driver was the mechanic. Our only concern was "please don't let Cobar be like Wilcannia". At this point we had no idea what the actual problem was. Plus number three - we made a cuppa and lunch while we waited.
Definitely not what we thought the day would bring. Not fun watching the Penthouse get loaded onto a tow truck by the very affable "Curly".
Something wrong with this view. I like seeing the Penthouse in my rearview mirror!
Cobar - what a surprise. An outback gem. A really lovely little mining town.
Offloading at the mechanic yard. So, as it was Saturday there was nothing to do but check into the motel and do a bit of exploring.
The Newey Reservoir is a lovely area. Also the free camp we would have been staying at. So we just had to settle for a picnic and lazy afternoon by the water.
These are Apostle birds. Named such because they are usually found in groups of 12. They have a very raspy bird call that they use almost constantly. Especially this little baby. It was interesting watching them. All the adults pitch in to feed the young.
Feeeeeeeeed meeeeeee!
Plenty of Ravens too.
The motel was really good. A bonus luxury stay for three nights, compliments of RACQ. On with a frock and some make-up for a big night out at the Bowls Club across the road. The restaurant was Asian. Beauty. Dinner sorted.
A massive, extremely tasty laksa. Yummmmm!!
Mining has always been associated with Cobar and at one time, the Great Cobar Copper Mining Co. had one of the world's largest copper mining and processing operations. Evidence of past mining is seen at the Great Cobar Open Cut.
The New Cobar Open Cut Mine seen from the Fort Bourke Hill Lookout.
Just to the right of centre shot you can see the original mining shafts.
Gold and copper was also mined in the Cobar region which were closed in 1950, but re-opened in 1990 by Peak Gold Mines.
Plenty of floating around the pool.
Afternoon nibbles and drinks on our "patio".
So the issue with the caravan brakes was the magnet inside the cylinder had come loose and was jamming the brakes. After discussions with our new mate Curly it was decided to check the cylinder on the other wheels. That magnet was just about to come away too! Oh well...while your at it might as well do the wheel bearings as well. $1600.00 later, all fixed and back on the road.
It was late in the afternoon so we opted to spend the night at Newey reservoir after all. A great night with fellow campers enjoying the water and sunset.
Next stop on the outback/Darling River trail......
The Back of Bourke - just like the front of Bourke ha ha! The size of Bourke surprised us. Very small. Cobar certainly had much more to offer. However, some interesting points to see.
The local cemetery. Love a good wander through getting a feel for the historical past.
This tin shed was used by the Afghan cameleers as their Mosque.
Fred Hollows is buried at Bourke. He had a real love for the Australian outback, and the Bourke region in particular. Fred worked healing sight of the local Aboriginal people in the 1970's.
Next down to the Port of Bourke wharf. Well, after lunch at the local club.
The Darling River.
The old wharf.
This old mate - Jimmy the Italian - was hilarious. He jabbered to Dez for ages. Hardly had a clue what he was saying!
Unfortunately the demonstration season was over, so we didn't get to see it operating.
Another bascule bridge over the Darling, North Bourke.
We took a bit of a self guided loop drive and ended up on the other side of the Darling.
The old wharf. The river certainly must have got some height in flood times.
An old paddle wheel ruin. An interesting couple of days.
A coffee stop at Brewarrina about halfway between Bourke and Walgett. There was a bit of a cake stall going on so got some yummy home made cookies.
Not a good advertisement yet again for an outback town. All shops with metal grills on the windows!
Hhmmmmm! Surely the Visitor Centre isn't in the dunny?!?!?!!?
Walgett
16th - 17th November 2017
Walgett is located beside the Namoi River near its junction with the Barwon River. An overnight stop in downtown Walgett, put on the map back in the Hey Dad TV show days back in the late 1980's. Anyone remember Betty the Secretary? who proudly came from Walgett. I have always loved her phrase when taking shorthand "pencils ready, co--mence".
Another town with more closed shops than open.
About the busiest shop in town.
Beautiful old courthouse..
Walgett main street.
Once again, all shops have grills on the windows!
A rainy afternoon, so we cheated and drove on the walking/bike trail!!!
Founding families graves by the river.
The town provides a great free camp on the outskirts of town. Individual sites.
A cracker of a storm at sunset.
Colour after the storm.
Lightning Ridge
17th - 19th November 2017
The name Lightning Ridge is said to have originated when in the 1870s some passers by found the bodies of a farmer, his dog and 200 sheep which had been struck by lightning! Of course for many years it has been know for being the black opal capital of the world.
The Car Door Tour is Lightning Ridge's version of the self-drive tour. There are four different tours and each one is marked by colour coded and numbered car doors. The doors direct you down winding dirt roads and give a taste of what it's like to live and work on the opal fields.
Off on the Red Car Door drive, which took us to the first 1906 settlement at Sim's Hill Opal Field.
The landscape is certainly not a gardener's paradise. Incredibly dry and mounds of dirt everywhere. Homes are nothing but metal shanties.
If you don't have a shanty, maybe an old caravan will do.
Hhmmm...O.K.????
Obviously not a very high hill!.
There are lots of very strange characters in Lightning Ridge.
Vittorio Stefanato, known locally as Amigo was disenchanted with opal mining so he commenced building his castle from ironstone boulders he collected in the area. He has been building it since 1981!
Another unique home just down the road is the bottle house. Whatever takes your fancy?
One way to recycle I guess!
We noticed that there is very lush Jade plants everywhere. Supposed to be good luck.
After doing the Red Door drive we headed 'downtown' to John Murray's Gallery. Fantastic, quirky art. Loved it.
Photos not allowed so could only take a picture of the front. We did buy a couple of prints. John was probably most famous for his picture of Tony Abbott when he was Prime Minister, and famous for his budgie smugglers!
Next stop in town - Coopers Cottage. An authentic abode of the early miner, built in 1916. Its historical setting embraces the living conditions of the mining pioneer.
What woman could resist such luxury.
All the mod cons.
Modern kitchen.
Across the road the Australian Opal and Fossil Centre.
Not 'pearly whites', more like 'opal-rly whites'.
Fossils of pipi shells.
Very large chunk of rock with opal seam.
As the afternoon progressed a storm started to build.
We stayed at the Opal Caravan Park. What a cracker. It would be the best outback park we have stayed in. Incredibly neat and tidy. No dust or dirt. The amenities even had hair dryers! Brilliant pool area. Really enjoyed it here.
Whoa! Crack and thunder. Rain, wind and small hail! Quite the event.
The next day we did the Yellow Car Door Tour. This one took us through the Three Mile Opal Field, onto the Chamber of the Black Hand Mine, Lunatic Hill Lookout, and through more opal mining villages.
It's the best way to do a self guided tour. No way of getting lost.
The Chambers of the Black Hand is very unique. Forty feet underground there are images carved and painted in the sandstone walls and pillars. It has taken the miner, Ron Canlin, 18 years to complete the carvings so far and the evolving process will see even more sculptures and chambers added to the tour. All the sculptures have been done with a dinner knife and fork. They are amazing.
Off we go...down...down...down.
There are so many different tunnels, with many, many different categories of sculptures. Awesome.
Very attractive hats.
It was certainly fascinating, and mind boggling to thinks they were all done with nothing more than a knife and fork.
Crazy humour everywhere.
The landscape is lumpy, bumpy mounds from mining opal.
Lunatic Hill, of course, has another crazy local story. Remember Gelignite Jack??? Another quirky local who everyone thought was a bit of a lunatic. The story goes like this.....
In an era pre-dating television and social media, Gelignite Jack, originally from Melbourne, demonstrated an early knack for capturing national headlines with his daring ability behind the wheel of early rally cars.
The 'gelignite' nickname originated from Murray's pragmatic approach to clearing the rally route of blockages in the 1954 Redex Trial.
"Back in the 1950s the thought of driving around Australia was unheard of, and they were concerned that there would be blockages on narrow roads of trees and so forth," Phil Murray said.
Gelignite Jack's navigator, a construction expert, suggested they take along some gelignite for quick removal.
"This never occurred, but after all who's going to cart three boxes of gelignite around the country without letting off a stick or two?" Mr Murray said.
"So people started enjoying that, asked for it, and that's how the name started and stuck."
Whether or not the pair used gelignite may be another matter.
The Canberra Times reported in July 1954 that police questioned Mr Murray and his co-driver Bill Murray "concerning a mysterious explosion en route to Melbourne", but the pair denied have any "gelly" in the car.
An old open cut mine at Lunatic Hill.
Plenty of old wrecks about the place.
And mine shafts.
A tin shed style church purpose built for a movie.
Waiting for dad and the kids to cross the road.
This is Stanley the Emu sculpture.
Just down the road from the caravan park are the Artesian Spa pools. The water is about 40 degrees. A tad warm. Had a bit of a float about in the pool which is fed from the Great Artesian Basin.
Five minutes is about the limit, it is so hot. Much better back at the park in the swimming pool.
Next day all packed up and ready to do the biggest of the tours - the Orange Car Door Tour. This encompasses three very unique outback pubs on a dirt road loop.
The first - The Club in the Scrub.
Seems to be built from any bits and pieces they could lay their hands on!
Beer stop one. The locals here were quite chatty.
Next stop along the rough as guts dirt road - The Hilton Pub. Clearly not part of the Hilton Group we are used to!
Beer number two. The publican here was great too.
Rippa burger for lunch.
This area is where most of the black opal is found. This house would be considered very grand.
Last pub stop - The Sheepyards.
Parked up with the big boys.
Another crazy, thrown together establishment.
The publican here was very disappointing - bit of a sour old fart.
A bra tree - of course!
Thought this was funny.
So, all aboard, and hit the highway.
Yay! Queensland and wind the clock back. Boggy mud on the NSW side. All good on the sunny Queensland side ha ha!
So just a hop (Dirranbandi)........
Skip (Bowenville-Dalby)......
This was funny. At the Recreation Reserve camp a large group of teenagers had left their empty cans on the edge of the river near our camp. So Dez kindly collected them and took them back over to their camp.
And jump (Kilcoy).......
Main Street in Kilcoy.
Great free camp in Anzac Park. Really clean, lovely amenities complete with free showers!
And home to the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane for a few weeks.........
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