Outback Adventure 2023 Part 1

 18/09-19/09

Deniliquin

On day one of our outback adventure we arrived in Deniliquin and set up camp just out of Deniliquin at the Pioneer Tourist Park.

We drove into Deniliquin after we had settled in and visited the Peppin Heritage Centre to get information.  They had a sculpture exhibition so we spent some time wandering around looking at the sculptures.  The Heritage Centre is also a small museum so we took the time to check out the displays as well.

We went for a short walk around the central business area and decided on a place to eat out for Linda's Birthday dinner.  We ended up at the Coach House Pub which we had been told was the best place to eat if you wanted a classy meal.

The next day we rode our bikes into town and did the beach-to-beach walking/cycle trail. We stopped off at The Depot which is a historical vehicle display.  Then picked up the other end of the beach-to-beach cycle trail and finished the ride. then it was off to the museum in the old police residence. It was closed but one of the volunteers was still there so he opened up for us to walk through. 

Denny water tower

You don't see many of these any more. (Old school playground equipment.)

The Depot

The Depot

World's Best on a stick.

20/09-23/09

Hay

We travelled to Hay across the Hay Plains.  The plains are flat and covered in saltbush and grasses.  The trees could be seen in the distance hugging the contours of the rivers and creeks.

We arrived in Hay which is on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River and have set up camp in the sandypoint camp ground.

We walked into Hay and visited the painted water towers then into town. It's a lovely tidy town.

Dropped in at both pubs on the main street and did a little bit of shopping. Checked out the Murrumbidgee River at the campground. There is a great picnic ground and places to swim.

Emus 

Murrumbidgee River

Murrumbidgee River

Hay Main Street

Hay water tank

On Thursday we did part of the cycling route around Hay dropping in at Bishops Lodge a grand house made of corrugated iron and insulated with sawdust, it was completed in 1889 for the Bishop of the Riverina and his large family and to accommodate any visiting clergy.

Bishops Lodge

Bishops Lodge Garden.

We continued on the trail along the Murrumbidgee and had lunch beside the river then headed back on the trail into town past some of Hays's historic buildings.  We ended up at the old Railway Station where some of the train carriages have been turned into the Dunera Museum.  During WWII an internment camp was set up in Hay.  The British Government sent 1,970 European refugees to Australia on the Ship Dunera fearing that they may become enemy spies. In 1941 they were transferred to Tatura in Victoria and Hay was used for German Italian and Japanese POW's until 1946.

It's a very interesting place and well worth the visit.

Hay Railway station and POW museum.

Hay Railway station and POW museum.

Today we cycled on the Bidgee Park track which runs south along the Murrumbidgee River.  The cycle/walking track has a sculpture trail at different points along the river. From Bidgee Park we rode out to the Hay Gaol which hadn't opened so we then cycled out to the cemetery. There are some war graves there for the POWs who died at the camp as well as one refugee from Dunera are buried there.  The older section of the cemetery is set on a dusty clay pan so there isn't any grass.

Back in town, we stopped at the Hay Gaol which began construction in 1878.  It closed in June 1915 as it only had 3 prisoners. The Gaol has been many things over the years including an emergency hospital during the 1919 flu pandemic. Then from 1921 to 1928, it was a Maternity Hospital. it was re-established as a Prison in 1930 and became a lock hospital in 1931 for the insane. It remained in use as a gaol until 1940 and was used as a Hospital for the Dunera camp. then from 1961 to 1974, it was the Institution for Girls. Girls were sent from Parramatta because they could not be controlled there. It was then turned into a Museum in 1975. The Museum opened on 5th September 1976.

Hay Gaol

Hay Gaol

Hay Gaol

From the Gaol we headed to the Saleyards the sheep sales were on in town.  29,000 sheep were being auctioned off. It was interesting watching them herd the sheep into the Pens to move them around as they were being auctioned and loaded onto the livestock trucks.

Sheep Sales

Wingy turned up every day for breakfast and dinner.

We then had a drink at the RSL and on leaving Ken noticed he had a puncture.  There are lots of Bindi's here in the grass. After fixing the puncture we set off to the supermarket. When we came out of the supermarket I had a puncture.  Ken repaired that one at the Pub while we had a drink and amused the locals.

Our final day in Hay was a quiet relaxing one.  We did go for a walk into town and pick up some groceries then walked back to camp. 

24/09-24/09

Hay to Wilcannia

We had a change of plans originally we were heading to Lake Mungo.  Lake Mungo is partially closed so we decided to leave it for another time and head to Wilcannia.

Wilcannia is about 3.5 hours from Hay we drove along the Hay plains where we saw heaps of bearded dragons and shingle back stumpy's sunning themselves on the road and daring you to run over them.  We managed to avoid all of them. There were also heaps of emus strolling about in the saltbush.  We had a brief stop in Ivanhoe. We wandered into the RSL and had a refreshment then hit the road again.

Emus on the Hay Plains

Hay Plains

Ivanhoe main street

Bearded Dragon Hay plains.

An hour or so later we arrived in Wilcannia and set up camp in the Victory Caravan park which is on the Darling River we had a lovely grassy site near some giant redgums (which we did not camp under as they like to drop their limbs).  The Darling is in a poor state with blue-green algae in it and the poor fish gathering at the weir gasping for air.  It was a very sad thing to see.  There isn't much going on in Wilcannia, particularly on a Sunday when we hardly saw a soul as we walked around the town.  There isn't even a supermarket in Wilcannia.

Darling river

Wilcannia

Wilcannia Post office

Fish trying to breathe air

25/09-26/09

Menindee Lakes & Kinchega National Park

Up nice and early filled up with water and off to Menindee.  It's only 160 km along a dirt road.  Mind you we were fooled at first as the first 5 km or so was bitumen.  The wildflowers are in full bloom along here and we stopped a couple of times to look at the display of Paper Daisys and the yellow Billy Buttons.  The landscape continually changes as you cruise along one minute it is flat plains of saltbush then small gun trees dotted around and emus foraging in the grasses.  There are entrances to the several sheep stations along the road.  Some parts of the road had bad corrugations but overall it wasn't too bad. After 3 hours we arrived in Menindee.

Emus and Billy Buttons.

Menindee road

We have set up camp in the Menindee Lakes caravan park.  It's on the banks of the Menindee Lake which is full at the moment it was relaxing to sit and watch the sunset over the water each evening. Its one of the few places to see a sunset over the water in NSW.

Menindee campsite.

On Tuesday we visited Kinchega National Park which at one time was a sheep station. There aren't many hikes in this park it is mainly seen by driving to each location.  We started with the River Drive which takes you along the Darling River and eventually, you end up at the site of the old Kinchega Homestead. There isn't much of it left only some rubble and the fireplace.  From the homestead, there is a circuit walk which takes you past the Billabong which was used by the Homestead for all of its water. Along the circuit walk, a bearded dragon appeared. It let us get quite close to it as it sheltered under a saltbush.

Station remains

Bearded Dragon.

After completing the walk we drove out to the Woolshed, where they sheared over 79,500 sheep in a few days, the woolshed was built in 1875 of corrugated iron and river red gum. Over the 97 years it was in operation 6 million sheep were sheared here. Inside the woolshed, there is a display of the old wool presses, classing tables, steam engines and a wool flocker that shook the fleeces to get the dust out. We then strolled around the old shearers' quarters which are now used as accommodation. On the way out we saw a group of emus having a bath in one of the lakes close to the woolshed complex.

Our next stop after the Woolshed was Cawndilla Lake which is part of the flood plains around Menindee.  There is a campground there with a small number of campsites and it's an easy walk to the lake.  We did a short walk to the lake, which also has blue-green algae present at the moment.

Then it was back to camp to take in the Sunset at Lake Menindee.