Russ Travelling Australia

15/7/09  Arrived at 10:30am from Menindee.  Rest has improved our spirits over the last couple of days.  We are surprised by the temperatures here – 4 degrees last night, 14 expected today.  The weather is picking up, but we are leaving tomorrow, heading for the Flinders Ranges.  Our expectations were dampened a little by tourists telling us that the Flinders were flooded, but have been to the info centre and all roads are open.  We may not be able to post a blog there – maybe just do some sketching instead – far less frustrating!

We are enjoying Broken Hill – have seen several galleries – Jack Absolum’s gave us the most pleasure.  There are very few watercolourists here – I suppose the vivid colours inspire oil or acrylic?  Our caravan park is on the main road to Adelaide, but is very quiet at night and we have enjoyed just relaxing.  There hardly is a car on the road here – everyone must have gone to the coast the the winter!  Silly us!

We are not interested in mine tours, but have received and read excellent brochures on Broken Hill and Silverton.  For example, in January 1915, a trainload of Oddfellows arrived here and two Turkish sympathisers fired on the people as they disemarked.  3 died, 6 wounded.  The only people to die in Australia in WW1.

The town is very clean, orderly, friendly people and dotted with 21 galleries, loads of eating places and cafes.

Back to mining – the line of lode here is the richest deposit of silver, lead and zinc in the world.  The ore body is 7.5kms long and 250 metres wide.  Over $100Billion has been generated since 1885.

Russ had concerns about the battery charger (in the van of course), but it seems to be behaving itself – but just to be on the safe side, we will head SW and maybe see the Adelaid Hills, Barossa, McLaren and Clare Valleys, so there may not be a lot to report from now on in.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and your interest.

Historically amazing – presently, scenically challenged.

A pessimistic beginning to a special place that Russ especially wanted to visit, but weather and road conditions have been against us. With unseasonable rain and road closures, in whatever direction we decide to travel, we are tending to look on the gloomy side.

Arrived at Mungo, part of the Willandra Lakes region, now listed as a World Heritage Area in 1981.

It was hard to imagine the entire region covered in lakes, 50,000 years ago. 17,000 years ago the lakes dried, leaving flat lake beds, surrounded by dunes, eroding with the weather, but attracting tourists. They call these surrounding areas of Lake Mungo, the Walls of China.

Used as a sheep station since the 1800s the shearing shed is a typical structure of the times with slatted floor.  Lynton will remember us sleeping on a similar floor when camping at the family farm at Wallacedale.  We also saw a lifelike model of Ziggy (Deens recently departed cat was called Ziggy), Zygomaturus trilobus, similar size to a hippo, which used to roam the lakes area.

Evidence of life is present from at least 40,000-50,000 years ago, where aboriginal people camped and fished along the shores.

Camping is available in the Main Camp, fires accepted. Belah Camp is another spot for camping, but no wood allowed.

Travelled to Lake Menindee, because of threatening weather. They close the roads after rain and you can be stuck there for days.

With black clouds in every direction, we travelled over some scary roads, with mud, sounding like shrapnel, as it flew up from the road and off the tyres, underneath the car. We were tired and pleased to get to Lake Menindee.

Finally got the van on the road again at about 2pm and headed for Turlee Station, 100km NE of Mildura.  No-one there on arrival, but followed the signs to the camping area, 2kms from the station, in quite a barren place.  There were some Rosewood trees and a toilet block, but compared to the entrance to the station and the surrounding areas, we wondered why they had chosen this site for a camping area.  Nevertheless, there was a massive mound of mallee roots, which instantly reminded me of Russ’ dad, who not only loved to burn mallee roots on Sunday afternoon, but crafted beautiful pieces of artworks from them.  Felt very sentimental for quite some time.

Freezing cold, but as soon as the mallee roots made an impact, and we had a delicious BBQ, we were ‘as happy as Larry’, (who’s Larry?). Hot water bottle against my bruised ribs at night and everything was fine.

Turlee is a 145,000 acre property, growing 75,000 acres of wheat, 3500 sheep (7000 before the drought), and have 1500 lambs from their last season.  They have put their ram to work with the most producive ewes, hoping for more results.  They have recently been spraying their crops for weeds, all done now by GPS, which tells him where to start again the next day.  His rig includes a DVD player so he doesn’t get bored!

Bloody computers, we’ve been trying to add photos for an hour, to no avail!  Make your own pictures in your mind!

While our cabin is comfortable, we would rather be ‘on the road’.  The part for the brakes for the Kimberley comes in some time tomorrow, so we suppose that means Monday night here as well.

The weather is sunny today, although a cool breeze keeps us on our toes.  Decided to go out for a BBQ overlooking the mighty Murray – do you think we could find one?  Not until we asked a local, who directed us to the Apex Park, right on the river’s edge, gas BBQ, tables amongst magnificent red gums.  Only sausages in bread, washed down with the ubiquitous glass of chardonnay of course!

The PS Melbourne paddled by, making us wish we were on it, but being on the bank and listening to the sound of the wheel gave us great pleasure.  We returned home, and spent the afternoon on the deck of our cabin, which faces the river, and have been entertained by passing house-boats, paddle steamers, giving us a toot as they return, and the odd skier or two (odd being the operative word, given the temperature of the day – no offense to all those water skiers out there!)

Things are pretty slow in Mildura, but maybe that’s what we need at the moment (a positive thought, from a negative situation??)

Sorry the blog isn’t more interesting – just wait until – hopefully Tuesday – when we’re on the road again!!!!

Enjoyed a lovely warm night in a cabin that covers our needs, more than amply.  It is raining up here, so it’s not so bad being out of the caravan.  We remembered to ring food and wine out of the Caravan, but no games, books etc.  There’s a TV and a radio and I have my Sudoku puzzles to do.

Russ realised today, after trying to download photos, that he hadn’t bought the CD program disk, to enable him to do this.  After 2 hours of trying to download programs from the internet, he rang the kids!  Deen told us about buying a flash card – problem solved – just a bit more money spent.  At least the blog will now have photos!!

We went to a great winery for tasting and ended up staying for lunch.  Trentham Estate, at Trentham Cliffs, right on the Murray River.  We couldn’t have wished for a better location.  The wines ranged from $10-$35 – old fashioned cellar door prices, and good to boot, with an excellent vintage port for $25.  (Bought some of course to keep us amused after dinner tonight!  We shared a Trentham Platter, consisting of pate, semi-dried tomatoes, prosciutto, olives, smoked salmon, grilled vegetables and chicken terrine, plus Caramalised Bush Tomato Balsamic, Olive Oil and Dukkah, served with freshly baked bread.  Waddled out, feeling well sated and that things are looking up.

Earlier, we bought some yabbies, thinking that tonight we would have them with garlic butter and ciabatta, but maybe they will be tomorrow’s lunch.

We have a couple of photos to add.  The first is the view from our camp and the other two are the Perry Sand Hills, east of Wentworth.  The red gum is 500 years old and 5 metres of its trunk might be covered with sand.

First Night – Happy Valley in the Grampians

Visited Langi Ghiran, to see if  it would be a suitable camp location for Cup Weekend.  Magnificent eucalypts, but pit toilets and no power or on-site vans.  Moved on to Happy Valley on the West side of the Grampians to a small camping park where we stayed the night.  The park is surrounded by bush and we had kangaroos eating around our site.

Our lovely neighbours, John and Janice, gave us a bottle of Chandon Sparkling Shiraz, which we heartily consumed, while we BBQ’d on an open fire.

Second night.  Wyperfeld National Park.

Here we go again, off for a couple of months on an extended trip through outback NSW, Qld, NT and SA.  We will be visiting some favourite places and national parks along the way, places like Little Desert NP, Wyperfeld NP, Lake Mungo NP, Mutawinji NP, Sturt NP, Innaminka, Diamantina NP, Alice Springs, East and West MacDonnell’s, Gammon Ranges NP and the Flinders Ranges.  Well at least that’s the current plan, but Marg just cracked a couple of ribs last Saturday, which will delay our departure for a week or so.  Where we go will also depend on the weather.  If the nights are too cold, we will head for some favourite places on the mid-north coast of NSW.  Our first stop is Little Desert National Park.