Broken Hill and back

Here's the last of three posts I've published about a Kodak-era road trip into the Australian outback. This post covers my time in Broken Hill, a place I'd dreamed of visiting as a child. My friend Enda and I spent two days exploring this iconic outback town in 2003.

After stopping for the night in White Cliff, it was on to Broken Hill. Along the way, we stopped to adjust our watches to Central Time, 30 minutes behind the rest of the state. Naturally, I couldn’t resist a classic tourist photo while passing into the new time zone.

Broken Hill was every bit as rugged and special as the mesmerising 35mm documentary film that inspired me as a child. As all good tourists do, we stayed at the Palace Hotel and booked ourselves into the hotel’s world-renowned Priscilla Suite. This unorthodoxly decorated room was made famous by the 1994 hit movie, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

 

The room’s walls and ceiling are covered in murals depicting classic Australian landscapes of streams, red dirt and gum trees. The halls and stairway leading up to the room are covered in more of these extraordinary hand-painted murals. An Indigenous artist from Port Augusta by the name of Gordon Waye painted much of what you see over several years.

However, despite its exotic decor, the room was fitted out in what could only be described as classic country pub sheek. In one corner sat a tiny TV on a varnished wooden shelf, floral duvets adored the bed, the floorboards creaked with every step, and an odd freestanding wash basin was installed midway along the wall. Thanks to a double-height ceiling, and a pair of balcony doors, the room did feel abnormally generous for pub accommodation.

We ate dinner in the bistro downstairs, then retired to our room. We sat outside for a while on the pub’s classic wraparound balcony, soaking in the outback air. However, the temperature dropped quickly after dark from the mid-20s to about 18C so we soon called it a night. Bizarrely, we visited Broken Hill during a brief cool period. Daytime temperatures hovered around the mid to high twenties while we were there rather than the normal mid to high thirties earlier in the week.

While in Broken Hill we took time out to visit the Line of Lode Miners Memorial built on a ridge of mine tailings towering over the town. Mining has claimed more than 800 lives over the years at Broken Hill, and the dramatic arching memorial is a poignant monument to them all. After viewing it you can sit on the Big Bench nearby and reflect on the lives lost. This colossal red seat is two and a half times the size of a regular bench.

We also took a mine tour which saw us don hard hats, enter an open cage and descend into the depths of an abandoned mine. We were told that it continues to be maintained in working condition for the benefit of tourists. The tour gave us an excellent insight into the lives of miners and the risks they manage every day. We learned that the Line of Lode is one of the world’s largest bodies of ore, containing silver, lead and zinc which made fortunes in this remote outback city.

The following day we toured the Flying Doctors base and visited the town’s quirky monument to the lives of bandsmen lost in the sinking of the Titanic. Even though none of the bandsmen were Australian, their memorial in Stuart Park was completed less than two years after the disaster, in December 1912. It was a poignant reminder that tragic events impact every generation, each with its own 9/11 moment.

We then ventured out to the ghost town of Silverton. Once a booming silver mining town, its abandoned buildings and their restored facades are now renowned for starring in iconic Aussie films like Mad Max 2 and The Adventures of Priscilla. Most of the town's buildings are long gone. However, a handful of lovingly restored structures dot an otherwise barren, gently sloping plateau. It's one of the oddest places I've ever visited in Australia.

Saint Carthage’s Church, the town’s small stone-walled Catholic chapel, was especially memorable. It sat on the edge of a desolate hillside surrounded by dusty red dirt. For me, it encapsulated the look and feel of a classic Hollywood ghost town. I think Enda and I saw it at its best, defiantly standing amid nothingness. These days the building is enclosed by a neatly fenced desert garden filled with trees and flowering desert plants. 

After visiting Silverton, we drove to the nearby Mundi Mundi Lookout. Although back then it was called the Edge of the World, for good reason, as it sits on the rim of the Barrier Ranges. Beyond the hills the road winds down to a plateau that stretches to the horizon in an unbroken plain of barren red dirt. You really do feel like you’re standing at the edge of the world with eternity unfolding before you. I’ve since requested that a portion of my ashes be scattered here when I die.

From Broken Hill, it was onward to the Murray River. We drove into Wentworth and made our way to the confluence of the Darling and Murry Rivers in time to witness a spectacular sunset. Even now, decades later, I still consider the photo we took as one of my all-time favourites. We then stopped for the night in Mildura. 

The following morning, we booked ourselves a river cruise on the Paddle Steamer (PS) Melbourne. This vessel started life in Koondrook on the River Murray in 1912. Built for the Victorian Government as a work boat, the Melbourne was once fitted with a huge winch that was used for hauling fallen trees and snags from the river. This kept the main channel open throughout the year for other boats. 

The PS Melbourne was restored and converted for the tourist trade in 1996. Today it’s licensed to carry 300 passengers. Incredibly, as a flat-bottom boat, it can safely navigate in water only four feet deep. However, our tour spent a relaxing two hours in much deeper channels sailing down through Mildura's Lock 11 and back. Along the way, we passed Melbourne’s sister ship, the Rothbury MV. 

Afterwards, we drove out of town to the local Yabbi farm where an enthusiastic farmhand gave a private tour. It was fascinating to learn how these freshwater crayfish are cultivated. They take two years to reach a commercial size of at least 10-15cm. The secret to optimal growth is to keep the water at a constant temperature between 23C and 25C year-round. Sadly, the farm at Gol Gol has long since disappeared.  I looked for it to no avail when Garry and I returned to Mildura in 2021.

From Mildura we drove directly to Wagga Wagga, stopping briefly in Hay and Narrandera to stretch our legs. This was easily our longest scheduled drive, taking more than six hours and covering more than 550km. However, Wagga was little more than an overnight pitstop on our way to Canberra.

The next morning we carried on to the ACT, stopping briefly in Gundagai to check out the famous Dog on a Tucker Box statue. This was my second visit to Gundagai. I'd first stopped here while driving to Portland, Victoria for an Easter weekend break in 1990. More about that adventure some other time.

Canberra was our final overnight stop. Enda and I did the usual tourist thing, visiting Parliament and venturing up Mount Ainslie to marvel at the city’s carefully planned layout. We then drove back to Sydney via Goulburn and its iconic Big Merino. In six days we’d driven more than 2,700km and ticked off some of New South Wales’s most iconic outback experiences.

I’ve never been back to Broken Hill. However, I am keen to return and drive north to Tibooburra. This remote town near the Queensland border has always captured my imagination. It regularly reports the state’s hottest daily temperatures. Hence, I’m dying to see what's out there. Tibooburra is also close to Camerons Corner, a roadhouse that sits on the tripartite border point for South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. Watch this space!

Caravan with a propeller

The final highlight of our Murray River tour was three nights on a riverboat exploring its reaches around the historic town of Echuca. The town was once a bustling inland port on the Murray. At its peak, between 1865 and 1910, hundreds of steamers plied the river, opening up large areas in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. For many settlers, they were the only source of supply and contact with the outside world.

Today you still enjoy the steam-driven era courtesy of paddle steamers offering tourist excursions from the river wharves. However, these days Echuca and its NSW twin city of Moama are a popular destination for hiring private river boats. Garry and I joined the throng by renting a boat for three nights, based out Moama.

I’d pushed for a more spacious deluxe option on offer from Moama on Murray Houseboats. However, Garry was keen on the entry-level vessel thanks to its more generous outdoor deck area. The boat we ultimately chose I subsequently christened “a caravan with a propeller.”. Although, to Garry’s credit, it did offer all the mod-cons we wanted including a hot shower, air-conditioning, gas cooktop, BBQ and a reasonably generous fridge. The bed was also partially segregated from the living and dining areas creating two distinct zones inside.

The hire company provided a series of detailed river maps and gave a thorough orientation of the boat’s features before we set off mid-afternoon for our first cruising adventure. We followed their recommendation and made our way downstream past the town centre and bustling wharves. It suggested this route in part because the river has a speed limit through town and thus it's easier to become accustomed to the boat without battling endless ski boat wakes.

We eventually pulled up for the evening on quiet riverbank 100 metres beyond the Dhungala bridge. This bridge is still under construction and will become the region’s second river crossing. Berthing a riverboat is surprisingly simple. You simply reverse into the bank and tie the boat onto two of the nearest trees. Once moored we cracked open the wine and watched the sun go down while enjoying flocks of cockatoos swarming on the opposite bank.

Our first full day on the river was an ambitious one. We retraced our steps and continued upriver until we eventually found a muddy beach, kilometres from the nearest campsite. It proved to be a wise choice. This stretch of the Murry was almost completely devoid of the noisy ski boats we’d passed for much of the day. You can see our location on Google Maps below.

The next morning made our way at a leisurely pace downriver. Our aim was to base ourselves in a scenic spot that was close enough for us to motor home the following morning in time for our scheduled “checkout” deadline. By chance, we came across a sandy beach south of the Murray Goulburn River junction. It was a quiet spot on a gently curving bank free from ski boats on the river and campers on the shore.

We settled in for the afternoon and spent a wonderful time swimming for hours in the shallows, drinking wine, and watching the world go by. We were also visited by native ducks and other fauna as the sun dipped below the far bank. Perhaps the only thing that spoilt the experience was the hundreds of leeches that came out to play early the following morning. We’d had no idea they were residents in the general area.

We completed our riverboat adventure the following morning with a well-timed dash back to port. Three nights on the Murray was refreshing and a genuine highlight of our tour along this legendary river.

UPDATE: 24 October

The Murray River reaches its highest level in 100 years on 22 October causing widespread flooding across Victoria and inland NSW. In Echuca, the river peaked at 94.94 metres (above sea level) making it the third-highest flood in the town's history - only behind the levels of 1870 (96.20m) and 1867 (95.34m). Garry and I can hardly believe that some of the towering river banks we saw around Euchua have been overwhelmed.

The perfect lunch spot

Our driving route between Yankabilly Island and Echuca was mapped out to give us plenty of spectacular Murry River views. We spread the journey over two days with an overnight stop in Swan Hill. Our booking in Swan Hill was a last minute addition. With the border remaining open in the days leading up to our vacation we decided to relocate to a motel in town rather than stay at a regional golf resort in New South Wales.

This proved a savvy decision. The Augusta Motel got rave reviews online and proved to be a great choice. We had planned to visit Swan Hill’s primary attraction, the Pioneer Settlement museum. However, the day before we’d enjoyed spectacular lunch on the river that left us keen to get to Moama and board our riverboat as early as possible. As a result, we stopped at the town's giant Muarry Cod for an obligatory tourist photo, walked The Ten Steps down to the Murray, and then headed south via Lake Boga.

Our lunch spot the previous day had been a genuine stroke of luck. We followed the Murray River out of Mildura and headed east towards Boundary Bend. We’d planned to have lunch in Boundary Bend. However, upon arrival, the riverscape around the town left a lot to be desired. On a whim, we took a gravel side road on the other side of town that lead to the Passage Camp Conversation Reserve.

Much to our delight, the end of the road opened onto a stunning scenic bend in the river. We pulled out our picnic rug and enjoyed an hour of sunny solitude soaking in the most magical scene. Without a doubt, it was one of the most memorable lunch spots on our entire road trip. Click on the panorama below to enlarge it and you'll see exactly what I mean.

The ultimate river R&R

 

Our Murray River adventure continues. We’re now comfortably settled into our Airbnb digs on the bank of the Darling River. This river is the largest tributary of the Murray River catchment. For the next five nights, we’re enjoying plenty of R&R doing absolutely nothing every day.

Our accommodation is impressive, to say the least. We’ve based ourselves in a modern apartment-style home with soaring ceilings and a wall of glass that looks out over manicured lawns and the Darling River. It’s part of a hobby farm located on Yankabilly Island, a semi-isolated landmass that was once the eastern bank of the river itself.

The farm is located just 10 minutes drive from the town of Wentworth. This town’s claim to fame is its location at the junction of the Murray and Darling River systems. Earlier in the day we stopped in town and climbed a local observation tower. Here we could see the brown and murky waters of the Darling slowly merging with the greener hues of the Murray. This is my second time in Wentworth. I was last here in 2003.

UPDATE: 2 January 2022
We’ve finally had our first river swim. The Airbnb homestead has its own floating jetty. We ventured down to the river yesterday and enjoyed a couple of hours splashing around the muddy Darling. The outback heat here has been extraordinary. We’ve endured temperatures approaching 40 degrees most days. Thank goodness the home has air-conditioning!

Murray River: first sighting

We’ve made it! Garry has finally spent a night on the banks of the Murray River. We’re currently in Euston on the NSW side of the river near the Victorian town of Robinvale. When we first planned our itinerary, we mapped it out in such a way that it could be driven in its entirety without ever crossing into Victoria. While the border had reopened, we thought it prudent that we always stayed overnight in NSW – just to be safe! As a result, we’re staying in several towns where the NSW destination is often a sleepy twin of its nearby Victorian neighbour.

Euston is one such town. It’s basically one street village on the banks of the Murray River. The biggest venue in town is the local community club. We’re staying overnight in one of its riverside motel units. Here we can sit on the porch and look out over the mighty Murray. Sadly, our first river vista is somewhat marred by the presence of large power pylons spanning the river in this location.

Earlier in the day, we stopped at the Shear Outback centre. Located outside Hay, this venue celebrates Australia’s iconic sheep shearing traditions. Here we watched them shear a sheep and toured its interpretative centre filled with all manner of shearing paraphernalia and outback farming exhibits.

Today's scenic lunch spot was the Swing Bridge in Balranald on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. This proved to be a picturesque location filled with wildlife including plenty of Rosellas and Kookaburras. The area also has a scenic walking track. However, recent rains have flooded the area so this excursion was off the table today.

We’re also patting ourselves on the back as we enjoy some much-needed COVID-free outback air. With more than 11,200 new cases in the state of New South Wales today we think it’s the best place to be.