You would have been expecting a banner pic of a thousand mullock heaps but in this town, where there are probably more car wrecks than driveables, Lightning Ridge is the elephant’s graveyard and perhaps a sign that digging for opals may not be the romance the finished product would have us believe. Now, I’d alreadyContinue reading “Lightning Ridge et al”
Category Archives: The Choice is Yours
Floodtide
Somewhere under all that brown water are the famous Brewarrina Fish Traps, which were clearly visible only 48 hours earlier. This Aboriginal ‘catch & kill’ network of trap ponds and channels are world famous, and one of the oldest human-made structures in the world. So I was a little disappointed that my timing was offContinue reading “Floodtide”
Darling River Run 5
It Ends Where it Begins This was the longest day and only half over. I had my eyes set on Tilpa as my next overnighter, another 130 klms along the West Tilpa Road. My armchair ride earlier in the day had lulled me into totally unreasonable expectations for this next stage. The first 30klms couldContinue reading “Darling River Run 5”
Darling River Run 4
Pooncarie to Wilcannia In the still midday air, the roar and grunt of the Desert Dash followed me for several kilometres before getting lost in the swales and gullies. The exciting news was that the Pooncarie to Menindee Road had been all but tarred, so the duel with the dust was postponed for a fewContinue reading “Darling River Run 4”
Darling River Run 3
Mungo to Pooncarie A cool change overnight, a few spots of rain…..what could possibly go wrong? I heard the occasional drop on the roof at 4am, but not a puddle in sight as I pulled out of the Main Campground just on 9am. I hate back-tracking if I can possibly avoid it and Google MapsContinue reading “Darling River Run 3”
Darling River Run 2
Mungo National Park Who hasn’t heard of Mungo Man? Often portrayed as outback of outback NSW, Mungo National Park is still east of the Darling River, about 65klm off the Pooncarie Road. Often photographed as a desert location, those pics belong on the highlights reel. Lake Mungo is one of four ancient lake beds andContinue reading “Darling River Run 2”
The Darling River Run 1
It Begins Where it Ends The cascading water through the lock is like the sound of distant surf, almost ambient, reminding me of holidays by the beach as a kid. During the day, pelicans and the occasional runabout get as close as they dare (or are allowed) to the tumbling waters. A weeks lay-up inContinue reading “The Darling River Run 1”
Coolamon’s on Fire !
When your in-between the outback and the sea, it becomes a matter of the destination and NOT the journey. The western plains are flat and carpeted with salt bush and huge bare paddocks. It was time to re-acquaint myself with the wide open spaces and the horizon to horizon blue sky. Coincidentally, the RV ‘secretContinue reading “Coolamon’s on Fire !”
The ‘Young’ Ones
No….not THOSE Thatcher hating, aspirational Sex Pistols anarchists…..but the similarities did not go unnoticed. An approaching voice called out the next day, “Hello, helloooo?” A quick glance behind the voice saw a jumble of tents and swags in various stages of disarray about 50 metres away. “Do you have a hammer?” “Yes I do.” “CanContinue reading “The ‘Young’ Ones”
Gone in 60 (hundred dollar bills)
The up-side of being behind the news is that, dear readers, you avoid hearing about the necessary but mundane bits that keep the wheels turning. Three weeks in Melbourne for preventative maintenance on Jeep and van – and I’ll spare you the blow by blow. But what started as a tiny hose replacement essentially turnedContinue reading “Gone in 60 (hundred dollar bills)”