There are lakes and there are lakes. As Mick Dundee would say; “That’s not a lake…..THAT’S a lake”. Now, I’m sure there’s bigger out there, but it certainly dominates the view from just about anywhere in the township and surrounds. According to my guide, there was only one free campsite close to town, Frogs Hollow, and facilities there were….average.
On my initial drive through town I spotted a Visitor Information Centre and thought I’d test out the local knowledge. Lucky break. They pointed me to a location only 3km out of town and lakeside – Dead Mans Point. Sure, I’ll try anything once, and it was a real find (despite the name). Level, panoramic views and good facilities. Easily set up for an extended stay and pretty much had the place to myself for the first three days.
So, with no mountains to climb or caves to explore, I found the time to do not that much….and kinda liked it. The first two days were van bound due to the howling winds and cold temperatures. I had to get up at some insane hour to reduce the awning from spinnaker down to storm jib otherwise there could of been bits floating on the lake by the next morning. There was an upside to being confined to barracks however. I FINALLY figured out why my onboard RV Wi-Fi unit was not delivering the goods. Don’t believe what they tell you about 4G. When you go bush its 3G or nuthin’. I simply swapped the connectors, removed and re-inserted the memory card and rebooted. Easy as and heaps of internet. I now had a good opportunity to play catch-up on this website. Up until this very moment my destinations were from looking back, not in real time. By the time you read this, it will live as it happens folks.
Lake Cargelligo is both a lake and a town. It’s as far west as I’ve traveled in NSW and there are some quirks that may be unique to this town, I don’t know. For example, everyone knows what the bank opening hours are, so lets not bother with a sign. Or, everyone knows where everything is in the supermarket, so lets not worry about end isle menus. Thankfully, no-one seems in a real hurry and the one cafe/takeaway serves really good coffee.
And there’s not many outback towns with a main street view like this. There are two museums in town, Larne Draught Horses and the Lake Cargelligo Historical Society and Museum
There’s also a golf course, if you define ‘course’ rather broadly. It’s clearly difficult to maintain in a small town given the drought prone history and recent good rains, but the prospect of losing my ball in the middle of the fairway was not getting me onto the 1st tee any time soon.
As you know the weather has been unseasonably wet and miserable and Lake Cargelligo fares no better. But when you get a sunny day, the view is mesmerising. I can only imagine how beautiful this lake is on a spring morning or late summer afternoon. Still, managed to get a few shots in to whet your appetite.
The Covid numbers are getting worse, not better over recent days. My 11 am optimism is turning to dread. I am both free and prisoner at the same time. But a gilded cage is better is better than lockdown, right? I leave tomorrow for Griffith for my first jab of Astra Zenica. Before I sign off from Lake Cargelligo, I have to share you something quirky about the locals. Around 30 -40 cars a day drive out from town to Deadmans Point, do a loop around my van and head straight back. Now I have three theories.
- Deadmans Point is a talisman for a religious cult
- The locals are very susceptible to obsessive compulsive disorder
- This is the most exciting thing to do in Lake Cargelligo
The two cars I actually stopped to ask, said it was just the thing that they do, so any of the above options could actually apply. Seriously though, it’s a lovely place to stay, the lake has a very soothing, almost hypnotic effect. Mmmmm, maybe it is option one. I’ll leave you with sunset on the last afternoon. Talk soon.
