27/09-30/09 Broken Hill
We arrived in Broken Hill and set up camp at the Racecourse. We were lucky to get the last grassed unpowered site.
On Thursday morning we drove out to Silverton and rode the bikes around the town. We started our loop at the cemetery, it's a little way out of town. This took us through a dry creek bed where the sand was too deep to ride through. A few of the graves in the cemetery have well-preserved headstones but many of the graves are now unmarked. There is a new section where local people are still being laid to rest even though the town only has a population of 52.
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Dry Creek bed |
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Silverton Cemetary. |
Our next stop was the Mad Max II museum which has a few more exhibits now than the last time we stopped there 23 years ago.
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The Interceptor they wrecked. |
It was warming up when we left the Museum and the flies were a real nuisance. We continued our ride around a few more of the historical buildings and then hopped back in the car and drove to Mundi Mundi lookout which gives a brilliant view across the dry flat landscape. Just down the road is the Umberumberka Reservoir which is fed by the Umberumberka and Star Creeks. It was built early in the 1900's and opened in 1915 it supplies water to Broken Hill. There is a nice picnic area there where we stopped for lunch.
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The Picnic train. Attacked by Turks in 1915. |
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Mundi Mundi lookout |
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Umberumberka Reservoir |
On the way back we stopped in at the Silverton Hotel for a drink to read the walls. The Pub has featured in lots of movies and Adds over the years. we took a short detour to Day Dream Mine, another old settlement. On the way there we came across a couple of emus on the side of the road. They are very skittish and not very bright creatures they took off running beside the car, (at about 45 kph.) one crashed into the fence on the side of the road and the other decided to run in front of us.
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Daydream Mine |
The last stop for the Day was the Pro Hart art gallery. It is well worth the visit and not very expensive. We saw his collection of Rolls Royce's, one of which is painted with landscapes of the desert and his famous ants.
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Older folk will recognise this one. "Mr Hart. What a mess." |
The following day we headed back into Broken Hill to the Sulphide Street Railway and Historical Museum. It's a really good museum and recommended for train lovers as they have some well-preserved Trains on display. You can walk through them and hop on the steam engines. There is plenty of other stuff as well. A great mineral display, rides, and amusements from the old entertainment centre which included a roller skating rink. Some of the carousel horses that were delivered are still wrapped up in their crates and have never been used.
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Sulphide Street Museum. |
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Sulphide Street Museum. |
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Sulphide Street Museum. |
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Sulphide Street Museum. |
After the Museum we checked out the sculptures in the park opposite, at least two of them are by Pro Hart. The next stop was the old BHP Mine and the memorial to the miners who have lost their lives since the mine opened back in the late 1800's. The mine complex has fantastic views across the Broken Hill township and beyond.
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Pro Hart Sculpture |
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Miners Memorial |
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Town from the Mine |
Later in the afternoon, we headed out to the Living Desert Sculpture Park to see the sunset. The Sculpture park was created by the council to display the talents of various sculptors from around the world. Sandstone blocks were set up at the top of a hill then each sculptor came and created a sculpture from them. People flock there at sunset to see the sun setting and shining on the sandstone.
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Living Desert Sculpture Park |
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The photo everyone takes. |
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Most people forgot to turn around and missed the Moon. |
Our final day in Broken Hill was Grand Final day so after picking up supplies for our up and coming desert trip and before going back to camp we visited Bells Milk Bar which has been with the same family since the 1890's. The Milk Bar is set in the 1950's with the old laminex tables and sells Milk Shakes, Spiders and hot dogs. After lunch, we rode to the Workies Club and settled in to watch the Grand Final. There wasn't a very big turnout there were about 18 people all up. Near us were 3 old fellas who had even bought their cheese, biscuits, and meat pies which they ate while watching the final.
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Broken Hill Courthouse |
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Broken Hill Mine from Main Street |
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Broken Hill Post office |
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Broken Hill Town Hall |
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Bell's Milkbar. |
01/10 Peterborough
We only spent one night in Peterborough which is well-known for its historic railway as we are heading off to Wilpena Pound on Monday. In the afternoon we walked into town. It was very quiet as it's a long weekend and nothing was open.
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Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays? |
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The view from camp. |
Sounds like you are having a lot of adventures, I had to laugh about the the old fellas eating cheese and biscuits in the middle of no where. Have a safe trip to your next destination and hope to see more soon. 😃👋👋
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